UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21837, 27 December 1932, Page 11

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

OPERATIONS IN DUNEDIN UNFORTUNATE PLIGHT An unfortunate position lias arisen in that 49 men who have stood down for two weeks and who have been on relief work after December 10 will not be entitled to the holiday pay, and will not be allowed to work. As a result, out of six weeks they will receive wages for only two weeks. In addition, there are about 40 men who are at present standing down and who under normal circumstances would receive relief work this week; the holiday period will mean, however, that they have had to stand down for four weeks without pay. The Mayor (Mr R. S. Black) and Mr F. Jones, M.P., have been in communication with the Unemployment Board, and have asked the board for £3OO to cover such cases. So far they have received no satisfaction. Representations have been made to the local Unemployment Committee, which is debarred by regulation from giving relief in these cases Apart from this, it has no funds. In reply to Mr Jones’s telegram, the Unemployment Board stated that the n tter was in the hands of the local bureau officers, to whom representations should be made. DISTRIBUTION OF MEAT The Mayor (Mr R. S. Black) has received the following letter from the Acting Minister of Employment (Mr Adam Hamilton): “ I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter requesting that some additional assistance be extended to your centre during the forthcoming Christmas period by way of a free distribution of meat amongst necessitous cases of unemployed relief workers and their families. “ The Unemployment Board is certainly extending some assistance in this direction to Wellington and Christchurch, but as the stocks of meat available to the Unemployment Board are fully committed in meeting existing requirements, it is regretted that the board is unable to extend similar assistance to other centres. “The claims of Dunedin in this respect have not been overlooked, but, as explained above, the amount of meat available to the board for distribution is insufficient to permit of any extension of the already authorised distribution, which, in any ease, must very shortly-cease.” The Mayor made the brief comment that it seemed an extraordinary thing that Dunedin and Auckland should not be included in the distribution of meat purchased with public money. No. 4 DISTRICT The No. 4 District Depot will be open to-day from 10 a.m. to noon, and application for rabbits should be made during these hours. On behalf of the unemployed of the district, the committee thanks the management of the King Edward Picture Theatre for the passes which it has given during the past year. Valuable prizes have been given by generous citizens and business firms for the Christmas and New Year dances, and the Social Committee thanks all such donors.

IDLE FREEZING WORKERS REINSTATED ON THE REGISTER. BOARD’S ACTION CRITICISED. (Per United Press Association.) HAWERA, December 24. The Patea Unemployment Committee was recently asked to reinstate eight men who, having refused to accept work at the freezing works, were struck off the unemployment register. The committee referred the request to the Unemployment Board, which ordered their reinstatement. The decision has aroused adverse comment in Patea and Hawera. Mr A. Christensen, chairman of the Patea Committee, said,' in an interview with the Hawera Star, that the board’s action called for an explanation. It was absolutely ridiculous the way the board chopped and changed its policy. Mr J E. Campbell, honorary unemployment officer of Hawera, also said that an explanation was called for, as the decision was contrary, to the board’s circulated regulations. The board’s decision was condemned in other quarters on the grounds that it was allowing freezing workers to_ utilise the unemployment funds as a strike fund.