UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21643, 13 May 1932, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your issue of yesterday there is a letter from the Rev. J. Douglas Smith on the above subject. 1 would lute to ask Mr Smith whether he said at the meeting of the presbytery that they were not suggesting adequate wages but at least enough to keep body and sou together.” What is the inference we are to draw from this statement? Mr Smith tries to make a great deal ot capital out of the words at least. it he has had any experience of wages as far as the working man is concerned, lie would know that the minimum wage is generally the maximum, and therefore, if effect were given to the recommendation of the presbytery, the most that any of the unemployed would receive would be just enough to keep body and soul together, and the wages of other workers would be reduced accordingly. Under our present system of unemployment relief the workers are being imposed upon in several ways. They are compelled to work for a mere pittance or else, starve, and any work that is being done is generally for the benefit of the rich landowner and never to improve the lot of the To take only two instances —£10,000 was recently • squandered on the vacant land of Corstorphine road in an endeavour to squeeze more money into the pockets of tlie wealthy land-owners and at the same time the poor a short distance away are living in houses and under conditions that are a disgrace to ns. At the present time at Brockville, close to where My Smith, himself, lives, the unemployed arc engaged in pitching the hard-earned money of the poor into a mud heap- All this without any protest from Mr Smith and his fellow members of the presbytery, who he says, are “ anxious to see the problem dealt with on Christian principles.” ' Our religious bodies, such as the presbytery and the Council of Christian Congregations, do not see things in the right proportion. If a suggestion is made to hold an art union they are shocked at ft, but yet women and children can live in slums (which to my mind is far more wicked) without a protest from these bodies. Our duty is to see that the worker gets a fair wage and the money is spent to the best advantage. Having suggested in vain several times to the Chamber of Commerce, ministers of religion, city councillors, and the Expansion League that the unemployment funds would be spent to the best advantage by widening Glasgow street, 1 now, after perusing with much interest the addresses delivered yesterday by prominent members of the Rotary Club, make the suggestion- that they take the matter up and endeavour to have the much-needed improvements carried out in (his quarter of the town —the improved street to be named after our distinguished visitor, Mr S. W. Pascall, president ot Rotarv International. —I am, etc., P. W. Shackt.ock. Dunedin, May 12.