"SOLD BY THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23201, 27 May 1937, Page 15

"SOLD BY THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT "

TO THE UDITOR Sir, —As secretary and member of the national executive of the National Unemployed Workers' Movement I take the liberty of supporting Dr D. G. M'Millan, M.P.. in his denial of stating at our meeting, held on November 17 last. "That the workers had been sold by the Labour Government." There was no one appointed by my executive or at the last general meeting to represent the Dunedin branch of the National Unemployed Workers' Movement, but we made request to our members that as many as possible should attend, although we received no correspondence from South Dunedin to be represented. During Mr Adam Hamilton's northern tour he expressed the opinion that sustenance rales were too high in the city, and according to that statement, if the National Party were to get back into power the unemployed and sustenance men would know what to expect from him. The experience of the last 12 months has shown that the Labour Government is honestly endeavouring to help the unemployed Every step which it has taken to improve our lot has been met with howls of disapproval from the press and other reactionary elements. Laid bare, the contention of this opposition is that the unemployed are receiving more help than they deserve or need. The widest mobilisation of the unemployed and sustenance men to defend the Labour

Government is necessary. Without organisation we -cannot combat these enemies, whose objective is to alienate the present Government from the unemployed, and to creat divisions in the workers' ranks. It seems to me that our organisation would be better employed at this stage in defending the Government for what it has already done for the workers, rather than in assailing it for what it has failed to do. Certainly we must not hesitate to approach the Government on the effect of rising prices upon our standard of living, and for the remedying of some palpably unfair conditions imposed upon us and having to do principally with deductions from sustenance and relief pay as a result of earnings. I have found that even those of the unemployed who express themselves as dissatisfied with conditions, trust in and sympathise with the Labour Government. To weaken that trust, to alienate that sympathy, in the present situation would be, I fear, to place ourselves in the camp of Mr Adam Hamilton and reaction. In fact I think it would have the effect of creating disunity in the ranks of the unemployed. Despite the fact that the unemployed, in a broad sense, are weak in organisation, the Government has at least done something for us; for what it has done it has been subjected to vigorous criticism from anti-work-ing class elements. In conclusion, I would like to ask the workers and the unemployed if they would like to return to the conditions prevailing under the Forbes-Coates Administration. —I am, etc., F. O'Rorke. Secretary. N.U.W.M. Dunedin. May 26.