FOOD RELIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21362, 16 June 1931, Page 8

FOOD RELIEF

MANY CASES OF FRAUD AUSTRALIAN UNEMPLOYED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 3. The case of the genuinely unemployed in New South Wales, is being made the harder by some of the people who have been practising imposition in regard to the relief supplied by the Government to necessitous people. Food relief inspectors have reported to the Minister in charge no fewer than 12,000 unsatisfactory cases and many glaring instances of fraud have been noted. The Acting Premier (Mr Baddeley) stated that in connection with food relief to the unemployed evidence was produced showing that definite imposition was being practised by numbers of unscrupulous persons who were obtaining food relief assistance at different depots under assumed names, and, in certain cases, under the names of reputable citizens who were never unemployed. The Minister was thus justifying the appointment of food relief inspectors. Mr Baddeley, in'giving point to his statement, quoted a number of specific cases of what he termed “glaring cases of fraud.” “A man with a previous crime history,” he said, “ was associated with three other men, and was drawing relief as a man with a wife and five children under seven different names. A man arrested in a Sydney suburb was found to be in possession pf seven relief cards under different names and he was drawing relief in all cases, representing that he had a large family. This man was, sentenced to imprisonment. Another man who had been arrested was drawing relief at four different depots.” While Opposition members of the Legislative Assembly agreed as to the necessity of appointing inspectors, grave exception was taken to some ->of the men and women who had been given appointment as inspectors, and this was the subject of a scathing attack on the Government in the Assembly yesterday, when Mr Dunningham made the allegation that some'of the 90 dole inspectors appointed by the Government had been accused of misappropriating union funds, that others were members of the “basher gang” that operated during the timber workers’ strike and that others were occupying dual positions.

Mr Dunningham said that 90 dole inspectors had been appointed at £5 a week, .plus first-class travelling expenses, and the method of appointment was nomination by Labour members of Parliament. “ Complaints have been made,” he added, “that some of the inspectors have records of such a nature as to render them totally unfit to occupy any position of trust.” Mr Dunningham went on to quote individually and by name a number of the inspectors whom he alleged had records of this description. One man, he said, was a member of the “ basher gang,” and was a “ chucker-out ” and “ basher ” for the Trades and Labour Council. Two others had been accused of misappropriating union funds. Another was reported to be in receipt of the invalid pension on the grounds of total incapacity and the same man had been charged with witnessing false declarations at the last State elections.

The Minister promised to make an investigation of the character of every one of the inspectors, and if. there was any man of the character of those mentioned by Mr Dunningham he would no longer be a member of the staff.