INFORMATION SOUGHT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17588, 2 October 1931, Page 9

INFORMATION SOUGHT

| unemployment policy CRITICAL LABORITES ] MANY ASPECTS RAISED I (Per Press Association.) ’ WELLINGTON, this day. ; In the House ,of Representatives tojday Mr. M. j. Savage (Lab. Auckland jO. Tasked the Minister in charge of 'unemployment if lie would tell the House what he intended to do for the unemployed in future. What had been done in the past had not been sullicient, and consequently men had been •forced to fall back on local bodies for help. Hospital boards and ,other local ■bodies had explored every avenue in ■ah endeavor to do the best they could, with the result that many of the bodies were faced with bankruptcy if they carried on in the same way for a few months longer. He wondered if those in high pikiees realised the seriousness of the position. Mr J. S. Fletcher (Ind. Grey Lynn): They don’t. Mr. Savage said that according to figures supplied to him by tbo Auckland Hospital Board the estimates of that, body had been £50,000 for the year, but at the end of the half-year the commitments amounted to over £40,000. ' That was on relief alone, and he believed that members would realise that when people, had, to go to hospital boards for food the conditions of hardship they wore enduring would throw further burdens on hospital boards by putting more people in hospital. Surely that was not economy. They were denying, people food and footing the bill,at the other end. They wero drifting on from bad to worse, and the number of unemployed was increasing because the method, of dealing with the matter was obsolete. Continuing, Mr. Savage referred to the work supplied for unemployed, and said it was no use Parliament saying it would not pay sustenance when it was being paid by Hospital boards. V PRACTICALLY OUTCASTS Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Lab. Avon) supported Mr. Savage’s request for Information regarding the Government’s proposals. Referring to the position of single men, he said they were practically outcasts.' They were workless and penniless, and in thousands of cases almost homeless. It. might be said that there wero camps for single men, but the camps were full. Continuing, he discussed, the position in relief camps, and. said the average man would earn only 5s a week. Cabinet, he declared, must face the position of providing adequate food to enable people to keep body and soul together. He trusted that during the debate Mr. Coates would make n statement that would give some hope to single men and married men, and also to hospital boards, on whom the bulk of tjie responsibility was falling at " the present time. Mr. ,T. McCombs (Lab. Lyttelton) stressed the necessity of providing for cases of single men with dependants. He said these men were clearly entitled to be placed in the same category as married men. and it was no use sending them into camps to earn ss'a week. The Unemployment Board was not even living up to the lory standard set by the original No. scheme. Mr. R. A. Wright (Ref. Well. Sub.) said he was prepared to support the Government in any action it might take to obtain sufficient money to provide adequate work for the unemployed. Mr.'Walter Nash (Lab. Hutt) said if the Government co-ordinated, transport it would save at least £1,000,000 a yeah, which could be devoted to providing work for the unemployed. LEADER OF THE HOUSE 1 Mr. Fletcher said that while he fully approved ’of prison labor being employed in productive, work where possible, he wished to protest against it being used to displace law-abiding citizens. He contended that the Prison Department’s activities in supplying metal was responsible for throwing men out of work. Mr. Fletcher'also asserted that there had been breaches of the Act in connection with tile Railway Board appointments. For instance, lie contended, Mr. 11. 11. Sterling, as an ex-public servant was ineligible. -The Act also stated that no one directly or indirectly associated with the transport industry could be appointed. He considered that under this clause anyone interested in the oil industry was ineligible. * Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch S.) appealed to Mr. Coates to shorten the discussion by making a statement. Mr. A. Harris asked whether the Unemployment Board could do anything to find work for professional men who wero forced, to walk the streets in search of employment. Many of, them were unable to take advantage of relief schemes. The Leader of the Opposition urged Mr. Coates, wfio' ho understood was leader of the House, to make a statement. Mr. A. J. Murdoch: Who is leader of the JTotiso? Mr. Holland: Mr. Coates. Mr. Murdoch: The Prime Minister is, leader of the House. Mr, Holland : Ti)e ex-Minister Is not well informed, It ’was officially announced Ijy the late Leader of. the Opposition that lie \vas to.be leader of . the House. There is nothing against that. It is simply following the British precedent. IMPORTATION OF COAL Mr. Holland expressed astonishment at the failure of the Government to attempt to, handle the position with respect to the importation of goods into , New Zealand in competition with our own industries. He said there was a large amount of unemployment on the mine, fieldft as a result of the importation of coal. Added, to tfiat, shoddy clothing was being imported, and, was underselling our own products, j Mr. Holland protested against so un--1 portant a. portfolio as Education being transferred from film elective Chamber to the nominee Chamber. He considered that all portfolios of importance should be held by members of’ the House of Representatives. lie had protested pro vipusly against this appointment, and tl|e Dominion find replied stating that there was a precedent for such a course. Mr. Holland pointed out, however, that ns a result of a vote of the House the portfolio had on that occasion been restored! to the, lower 1 Chamber. It seemed to him from the nature of that appointment that the Minister’s job was simply to he a “cutting down’’ onrt Mr. Barnard urged that there should he no postponement of the elections. Tie said such a step would he an act of sheer dictatorship, and could only nfeun fear of the electors. I Mr. Centos rose within a couple of minutes of the time lor the adjournment of the House. lie said he would not be in a position to give full details relating to the scheme for dealing with

unemployment until after Tuesday, although no doubt brief reference would be made to the subject in the statement presented by the Minister of Finance on Tuesday. Ho was then interrupted by the adjournment at 1 p.m,