R.S.A. UNEMPLOYED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18265, 7 December 1933, Page 6

R.S.A. UNEMPLOYED

ATTITUDE TO ROAD. CAMPS * . RELIEF DEPOT MAINTENANCE SUGGESTION TO EXECUTIVE * V Opposition to the application of the compulsory camp scheme to returned soldiers, and appreciation of the efforts of town and country people in affording to the general unemployed of Gisborne the additional measure of assistance which to date has been available through the Central Relief Depot, were expressed at a gathering of unemployed returned soldiers, held last evening bv requisition to the executive of the . Gisborne - Returned Soldiers’ Association. The meeting was attended by Lieut.-Col. K, F. Gambrill, president of the association, and by the majority of l(ie executive members, who took part in the discussion of difficulties arising out of unemployment among ex-service men. (in behalf of a section of the returned soldier unemployed, a speaker stated that when the relief cuts announced recently Iby the Unemployment Board’s officers in Gisborne were under public discussion, the impression had got abroad that the Returned Soldiers’ Association executive in Gisborne had shown little interest in a matter which intimately concerned many members of the association. This speaker added, however, that he, had seen a copy of the protest telegraphed to the Minister of Employment by the executive, hacking up the general public protest, and he agreed that the complaint he had voiced was not justified. Hie complaint would not have been raised had the action of the executive been given more publicity, lie felt, EXECUTIVE’S PROTEST In reply to this statement, the president pointed out, that PcSolutioiis forvvarcleu to Wellington had established the position of the Gisborne district executive, and tliat as there was a prospect of united action on the part of country centre representatives for a revision of the scale of unemployment relief, the Re* turned Soldiers’ Association stood ready to do everything it could to support that movement at tne right moment. The executive did not propose to waste strength on activities that would get nowhere, he intimated, but would do its best to register effective action when the opportunity occurred. • A

I lie fact that the R.S.A. was struggling with an unemployment problem among ex-service men lor years before the slump, and doubtless would still he lighting the same battle years after the general unemployment situation had been cleared up, was pointed out to the meeting by one executive speaker, in deprecating any entry into the field of general politics in relation to unemployment relief. The association, while deeply sympathetic with the plight of the unemployed generally, existed for -the particular job of looking after returned soldier unemployed, and could best sustain that responsibility by confining*' attention to immediate questions of local relief. As private individuals, and members of other organisations of various kinds, returned men could make their opinions felt on general political topics as well as on unemployment relief, but the scope of the R.S.A. was clearly defined. and necessarily limited to the interests of the returned men.

DEARTH OF SUGGESTIONS

A dearth of suggestions was made apparent when the meeting, having agreed that an improvement in the administration of unemployed relief was necessary, proceeded to a discussion of possible courses. Unanimity was expressed, however, upon the point that the first objective for Gisborne must be the removal of differentiation in the treatment of city and country unemployed, and that the full strength of the Gisborne II.S.Ai must be exerted in support of the effort made by the Mayor, Mr. John Jackson, to secure a conference of municipal representatives on this question. The president gave an assurance that no effort would be spared, in this connection, and that, when the time was favorable, the association would use what influence it could muster.. Strong feeling was expressed in regard to the application of the compulsory principle to the .manning of country camps under subsidy from the Unemployment Board’s funds. Several speakers detailed their particular experiences in regard to compulsory drafting, and it was stated that all married and single unemployed when drafted for camp were compelled to undergo medical examination if they wished to secure exemption, the results of the examination in some eases being difficult to reconcile with the medical histories of some returned soldier unemployed. On this point, it was pointed out that any man dissatisfied with the result of a first examination could ask for examination by his own doctor, and that the association’s honorary officers were well qualified to prevent any injustice being done to ‘ Diggers. PROTEST AGAINST COMPULSION

The following motion, on the general subject of compulsory camps, was submitted to the meeting by a member of the unemployed group, and was earned: “That this meeting of unemployed returned soldiers condemns the Government’s policy of imposing compulsory labor service camps on unemployed returned soldiers, married or single.”

Maintaining that the district cxccu live is prepared to consider any.suggestion for improving the lot of the unemployed “Digger,” the president asked for the co-operation of all present in the programme of relief to which the association had committed itself. He reviewed the efforts launched by the R.S.A. in past years, particularly in regard to the cattle and sheep drives, which had yielded sufficient meat for six months ’ requirements of the general unemployed in Gisborne, during the last year; and asked the meeting to register an expression of opinion as to whether these efforts should be repeated in the future. It had been suggested in ono or two quarters, lie said, that the lclicf made available through the central depot had been made the excuse for cutting down the allocations from tho unemployment funds, and he felt that if the efforts were not appreciated, the association could restrict its activities in future to the relief of its own men and their families. AID FROM THE DEPOT

“It may be held that tho provision of this relief is hurting the interests of country unemployed,” remarked Lieut.-Col. Gambrill, “and that if it were cut out, sustenance would have to bo provided by the Unemployment Board. If we wore convinced that that was the case, and were sufficiently strong-minded to let tho women and children suffer tempojarily in the certainty that their condition would be relieved from other sources, we might feel justified in suspending the community relief programme. The executive does not take that view, however, and is not prepared to let women and children of tho general unemployed suffer while it has resources on which it can draw. The executive is equally determined to carry on tor the benefit of the returned soldier unemployed, even if tho general unemployed should not wish to have the assistance given in recent years. Only a direct indication of disapproval on ihe part of the beneficiaries will stop our programme.” The meeting was unanimous in its expression of approval .of tho R.S.A. efforts to secure food for unemployed families, and the president gave a brief assurance that the association would carry on. He raised one other point for the consideration of the meeting, as to whether the Christmas gift scheme should be maintained, and To this question the answer was an emphatic affirmative. A vote of confidence in the executive closed the meeting, which was the first of its kind sponsored by the association, and undoubtedly did much to bring the unemployed “Diggers” in closer touch with the governing body.