RELIEF WORK CONDITIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22225, 27 September 1935, Page 14

RELIEF WORK CONDITIONS

PROTEST AT WHANGAREI "NO CONFIDENCE IN BOARD" [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WHANGAREI, Thursday There was a poor attendance nt the Town Hall Inst evening in response to a public meeting called hy the Whangarei Unemployed Workers' Association. The Mayor, Mr. W. Jones, presided, and said the meeting followed up a similar meeting held some months ago, when the allocations as between town and country were the subject of several resolutions.

Mr. R. Welham, president of the association, said the replies received from Hon. S. G. Smith, Minister of Kmployment, and Mr. A. J. Murdoch, M.P. for the district, were not satisfactory.

The Rev. 0. Burnet (Methodist) said that after seeing several years of deplorable conditions among the unemployed he was satisfied the Unemployment Board had failed. A motion was carried unanimously expressing lack of confidence in the Unemployment Board and resontinent at its action in "endeavouring to force married men to leave their homes and families to work under unjust conditions."

In replying to a vote of thanks to the Borough Council for its effort to help the unemnloyed, the Mayor said that already the council had spent £ll2 in giving an extra day to the unemployed, and was to consider more work. The council was also seriously thinking of constructing the new Victoria Bridge at the Town Wharf, by using day labour, in which case the Unemployment Board had agreed to a subsidy at the rate of 35s a week on all registered married unemployed.