RELIEF OF DISTRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21986, 22 June 1933, Page 8

RELIEF OF DISTRESS

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER A NUMBER OF REQUESTS ANOMALIES TO BE RECTIFIED (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 21. A deputation representing the National Union of Unemployed, formed at ft recent conference at Wellington, waited on the Minister of Employment (Mr A. Hamilton) to-day, and asked for: — (1) Restoration of the sustenance cuts. (2) Abolition of the compulsory camp scheme. (3) Discontinuance of piece work. (4) Immediate legislation to protect women and children from evictions. It was also asked that no deduction should be made when sickness or wet weather caused inability to work; that in cases where wives obtain work to assist the home no penalty by way of a cut be applied to relief workers; and where relief workers regularly earn a sum in addition to sustenance the emergency charge of one shilling in the £ be made on the additional earnings and not on the sustenance payment. The spokesmen were Messrs S. Vella (secretary of the v union), R. Hedgland (assistant secretary), and D. M'Laughlan (treasurer). At the conclusion of the deputation the speakers made a request for an extra £1,000,000 for unemployment relief. Replying, the Minister said it would be a very difficult matter to raise an extra £1,000,000 at the present time, although he had not objection to taking the question to Cabinet. No country in the world was doing more for unemployment than New Zealand. He admitted there were a number of anomalies in the present law, and it was possible that these would be rectified next session if the Prime Minister approved of the Unemployment Amendment Bill being brought down. To grant some of the requests made would involve breaking the law as it stood at present. There was no intention of inflicting hardship on married men so far as camps were concerned. The Government was considering the question of evictions, which was a very difficult problem.