SEEKING RELIEF

Southland Times, Issue 21264, 10 December 1930, Page 8

SEEKING RELIEF

THE UNEMPLOYED INTENTIONS OF BOARD OUTLINE BY A MEMBER EMERGENCY' MEASURES A very representative meeting of local bodies and other organizations was held in the City Council Chambers yesterday morning to consider the unemployment question. His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. D. Campbell) presided and had with him on the dais the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Mr G. Finn, member of the Unemployment Board. Apologies were received from the Mayor of Gore (Mr D. L. .Poppelwell) and the chairman of the Edendale Town Board (Mr Irvine). In opening the conference his Worship said that he was glad to see so many present at such an early hour. They, all understood why the meeting had been called. The unemployment question had been discussed with Mr Perrelle about 10 days ago, and it had been decided to hold such a conference, although they had not known then that they would have Mr Finn present. Mr Finn would discuss the question with them and would endeavour to make the position clear to them. He had never before seen such expediency in any important matter as that which had characterized the formation of the Unemployment Board. It was very pleasing to see the way the board was setting about its task, and it was the duty of public bodies to work with the board to bring unemployment to an end. The proposal was to set up local committees which would be able to bring forward proposals to place before the board in Wellington. To be a success the board would have to have the co-operation of the various local bodies. It would be realized that the board could not attend to the whole of the country and the duty of the committee to be formed in Invercargill would be to find work for the unemployed in Southland and submit schemes to the board. Mr Perrelle expressed pleasure at seeing so many present and said that £1,400,000 had been paid out last year for relief work. No Government could stand that strain and that was why the Unemployment Bill had been passed. He believed the board was going to attend to the problem and men who would work would be given work. He had been asked to tell the people of Southland all about the board, and he had persuaded the board to let Mr Finn come down and meet them and make the position clear. Mr Finn's Address. After thanking those present for the welcome extended to him Mr Finn said that he was glad to have the opportunity of addressing such a conference. They were there to discuss the unemployment question and the number present showed that the people of Southland were in earnest in their desire to grapple with that problem. Everyone, he thought, recognized that, the stage had now been reached where the country could not get further without some proper organization. “I am here to tell you something about the board,” said Mr Finn. “I want to tell you what the board has done and is likely to do in the future. One thing is certain and that is that the board cannot, do very much unless it receives the generous support oi the people. Unemployment is a national problem and requires national treatment. New Zealand has gained a reputation for social legislation and its ability to deal with a social problem is now challenged. Our reputation is now at stake and we must commandeer the brains and harness up the organizing capacity of our people and we must show that we are just as capable of applying team work to matters of this kind as we are to football. It we put our hearts and souls into the job we shall be able to do this. That there is work of a reproductive nature I think all will admit. The business of the board is to guide and co-ordin-ate the efforts of the different committees to bring work and men together. No one wants to see the board handing out sustenance and this will be kept down to a minimum if we work together to that .end.” Continuing, Mr Finn said that the first work of the board would be to provide

work for the men who needed it to tide them over the Christmas season. Such work would be merely a palliative and not the work intended as the main function of the board. The board had provided £25,000 on a £2 to £l'basis and already 48 applications from local bodies involving £20,000 had been granted. Other applications in hand would absorb about £6OOO. More applications were sure to come, in, and it would be the duty of the board to say whether or not further grants should be made. So far the work which had been subsidized had been of a useful and desirable nature. Speaking of the way in which the situation had been dealt with Mr Finn said that the board had met on a Tuesday, approved of the temporary scheme on Wednesday and had approved 48 applications on Friday. These applications had been approved by the Public Works Department and passed by the Treasury and he considered that the way in which the business had bom handled was something of a record. A Permanent Scheme. Another scheme would have to be adopted for a permanent' policy of the board, Mr Finn said. His personal opinion was that they should assist private employers on a £1 for £1 basis. This would help to get the men out of the towns into the country. There was a great deal of work to be done if private employers and the board could get together and work with the men who needed work. He thought that they should get the men into service camps where they would be under the control of experienced men and could be distributed among'the farms of the neighbourhood in the morning and brought back in the evening. There would not be any free money, but subsidies would be given and in some cases advances might be made to help the farmers to do their share. They would have to market the labour and if they could not get 20/- in the pound for it they would have to take 19/- or less.

The question of the rate of wages had cropped up, and the board’s statement regarding the subsidy it was willing to pay had been taken by many to mean that the board had fixed the rate at 14/- a day. That was not the case. The board simply meant that it was not prepared to pay a subsidy on any amount greater than 14/a day. The rate of pay was a- matter for the Arbitration Court and the board would not interfere.

The work undertaken must be of a reproductive nature, Mr Finn continued. The board hoped to see works taken in hand that would give a return. The work of the board would be carried out as inexpensively as possible through departments already in existence. Funds would not be spent on a costly staff. The wider aspect of the scheme, said Mr Finn, would be to draft the single men into the country, and the ultimate object of the work in the country would be to classify the men and divide the wheat from the chaff. The men could be studied and weighed up, and it could be decided whether or not they would make competent farmers. When this was done the board might consider a scheme whereby suitable men could be placed on land as farmers. The Lands Department had a scheme this

end ready for the board when the board was prepared to consider it. Referring more, in detail to the camps suggested, Mr Finn said that the camps :could be made congenial to the men with “provisions for. music, games and even pictures. Everyone had become accustomed to the relaxations of modern life and there was no apparent reason why they should not be supplied in the camps. ’ District Committees. - j One of the most important things in connection with the problem would be the setting up of committees, and in this connection New Plymouth had been most active and had adopted regulations, a draft of which was before the meeting. Southland was a very large district and it might be advisable to have two central committees — one in Invercargill and one in Gore. The central committee would require a small executive committee and then there would be a number of sub-committees in the country to work in conjunction with the central committee. The central committee would keep in touch with the board and the board would supply the committee with any new ideas evolved elsewhere. Continuing, Mr Finn dealt with the details which have been worked out for the working of the scheme. In reply to his Worship, Mr Finn said that the married men were a problem, but the removal of the single men would remove much of the competition in the towns. At the same time it might be possible to place many of Ihe married men in the country. The hearts of many of these men were sill in'the country and wherever there was accommodation available in the small country centres the married men could be sent, there. Many of these men had been driven off the land into the towns, and it would be the duty of the board to get them back to-the land. • Mr O. E. Niederer asked if the local committees would fix the wages to be paid, and Mr Finn replied that it would be part of their duty to do so. Mr W. Watson (Heddon Bush) said that he wanted to know why the Government did not start at the beginning and deal with the problem by reducing wages. Workers were getting more than they were 'a few months ago because the cost of living had come down and wages should come down too.

Mr J. McNeill, chairman of the Southland County Council, said that the subsidizing of farm labour would only increase the problem because farmers who were employing labour could dismiss their men and then take them back when the board subsidized their wages. It would be better to advance money to the farmers for necessary work. There were many farmers who would spend £lOO or more if they could raise the money. They hoped prices would come down in the shops, but they would never come down to the same extent in the towns as in the country. Those men who could not get work in the towns should be sent out into the country, and it was the duty of he farmers to help the board to that end. Only Improvement Work. Replying Mr Finn said the rates of pay could not be as flexible as the markets. All produce was down in price, but generally when one primary product was down others were up. If work was to be subsidized on the farms it was possible that the labour now on the land would be drained into the camps, but the board would guard against that. The work to be subsidized was not the ordinary work of the farm, but improvement work that would be otherwise left undone. The - work would have to be spread and if there was only work for 4000 men the 8000 men unemployed would have to work half time. The conditions would not make men want to stay there permanently, but would rather encourage them to seek, steady employment on the farms. They must remember that the main object of the scheme was to find out if the men were suitable to be put on the land. The board had power to advance money to farmers, but the board could not undertake that work immediately. Mr T. O’Byrne urged the meeting to get on with the appointment of a committee and said that the committee could discuss the question of wages and other matters. His Worship the Mayor suggested appointing one representative from each of the local bodies in Southland. Mr O’Byrne said that labour organizations should be represented on the committee. He moved that they should adopt, the suggestions drawn up by the Taranaki Unemployment Relief Committee as a basis to work on. This was seconded" by Mr Niederer. Mr J. Hargest. said he thought the Eastern District should have a central committee of its own. Mr O’Byrne said that he was in favour of one central committee with sub-commit-tees in other centres.

Mr J. G. Imlay said that, there was no indication from Gore that a central committee was desired there and if a committee was wanted there it could be formed later.

Mr Finn agreed that that would be the best thing to do.

Mr O’Byrne’s motion was then put as follows and carried: “That this committee be termed the ‘Southland Unemployment Relief Committee’ and consist of one representative from each of the following local bodies and associations, etc.: Invercargill City Council, Gore Borough Council, South Invercargill Borough Council, Bluff Borough Council, Riverton Borough Council, Winton Borough Council, Queenstown Borough Council, Mataura Borough Council, Otautau Town Board, Wyndham Town Board, Edendale Town Board, Nightcaps Town Board, Lumsden Town Board, Lake County Council, Southland County Council, Wallace County Council, Stewart Island County Council, Returned Soldiers’ Associations, Labour organizations, and other interested bodies together with the inspector of labour for Invercargill, such committee to have power to add to its numbers from time to time.”

After considerable discussion regarding the appointment of a secretary, Mr John Fisher (Otautau) was appointed pro ten). The following were elected temporarily to the executive committee and held a meeting for the purpose of discussing further details last evening: His Worship the Mayor of Invercargill, Messrs J. McNeill, T. O’Byrne, O. E. Niederer, J. Hargest, F. J. Linscott, J. W. Puckey, N. D. McKenzie, P. C. Weenink and E. Bowmar.

The draft suggestions of the North Taranaki Unemployment Relief Committee referred to during the meeting refer to the formation of a committee, the finding of work, the organizing of labour, the administration of money made available, the clearing of land, and a number of other matters required for the working of the scheme.

EXECUTIVE APPOINTED

SUBSEQUENT MEETING OF DELEGATES. A further meeting was held last evening when some 25 local body representatives of Southland met Mr Finn to discuss details with regard to the setting up of a local unemployment committee and the procedure to. be followed by the committee in dealing with 'he problem generally. The following were appointed an executive committee: His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. D. Campbell) and Messrs Gilki.son, O’Byrne, Hinehey, Hargest, Niederer, McDougall and Weenink. It was decided that an advertisement be inserted in the newspapers inviting farmers to submit details of developmental work that might be done by unemployed,, half the cost to be paid by the board. It was resolved also to ascertain by advertisement what work could be undertaken in the district such as creek straightening or preventing river erosion.

It was mentioned that the board had not approved of the City Council’s application for a grant to enable men to be employed immediately in laying a gas main to the new hospital at Kcw.

Mr Finn was urged to represent the desirability of having this work, authorized before Christmas

Exception was taken by the committee to the reported intention of the board to subsidize farmers for the cost of harvesting labour, £1 for £l. It was considered that this was a mistaken policy and the committee resolved that the board be asked to make no grants towards the cost of labour on usual farm works. A meeting was subsequently held of the newly appointed executive committee when steps were taken to ensure immediate effective action. Mr Puckey suggested that school committees be asked to supply details of any work that could be done on school grounds. Details were submitted by Mr Hargest of a scheme for the employment of men in flax growing on the Awarua Plains. The following resolution was carried: — “That this committee requests Mr Finn, and the Unemployment Board, to favourably consider the flax growing scheme (particulars of which were laid on the. table) on the Awarua Plains in the vicinity of the Waituna River.”

HOLIDAYS FOR WORKERS

TELEGRAM FROM MINISTER.

Dunedin, December 9.

The Minister of Public Works (the Hon. W. B. Taverner) has forwarded the following telegram to Mr M. J. Savage, M.P.: Referring to your telegram regarding Christmas pay for workmen on public works,, the position is that the jobs which close down from December 19 do not necessarily include relief works. As relief workers are not entitled to any statutory .holidays or annnal leave on pay, I have directed the department that relief works are not to be compulsorily closed down for the usual Christmas and New Year vacation this year. I have also instructed the department that any relief workers who. desire to remain at work are-to be allowed to do so and that those who prefer to have the usual vacation are to be automatically granted time off without pay.

FAILURE TO REGISTER, . 20,000 IN AUCKLAND. Auckland. December 9. When the registrations under the Unemployment Act began it was estimated by the Auckland postal authorities that the total number legally obliged to register in Auckland city and suburbs was 125,000. This figure was arrived at by allowing an average of two males of 20 years and over to each house in the district. When the registration period closed on November 11 about 90,000 persons had registered. The number of those who failed to register is uncertain, but allowing 15,000 as the margin for error in the original estimate it would appear that 20,000 in Auckland are now liable to prosecution.