UNEMPLOYMENT

Southland Times, Issue 22345, 9 June 1934, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT

NEW LABOUR PROPOSAL AN EMPHATIC PROTEST AUCKLAND CONFERENCE (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, June 8. An emphatic protest against the Unemployment Board’s task labour proposal was entered at the unemployment conference attended by representatives of the Auckland local bodies and social organizations. The Mayor of Auckland, Mr G. W. Hutchison, said that delegates from the various relief jobs had waited on him that morning regarding the inauguration of the system at New Lynn. A certain amount of work was required to be done under the scheme and it was represented that a number of unfit men would not be able to earn as much money as previously. There was no provision whereby men who could do the work under a stipulated time should receive more money. After hearing a deputation from the men, the following motion was unanimously carried: “That the conference emphatically protests against the policy of task labour as initiated by the Unemployment Board as being unnecessarily harsh in its incidence and provocative of ill-feeling. Further, the conference asks that its operation be suspended pending further -investigation.” The Mayor said the protest would be telegraphed to Wellington immediately. It was also decided to protest against the reduction made to the men on sustenance allowances, in spite of the assurance given by the Minister to the men that the latter would be satisfactorily dealt with.