RELIEF WORKERS DISMISSED

Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1929, Page 11

RELIEF WORKERS DISMISSED

RAILWAY DEPARTMENT'S ACTION. MINISTER EXPLAINS POSITION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Dec. 28. When approached in connection with tho recent statements telegraphed from Wellington regarding the dismissal of casual employees from the Railway Department tho Hon. W. B. Taverner, Minister of’Railways, stated that the position was that when the Government’s ‘relief scheme was put into operation last October the , Railway Department was supplied by the Cabinet committee with extra funds and asked to place as many additional tradesmen as could be employed on necessary work. Some hundreds of men were accordingly taken on throughout tho Dominion and had been retained as long as funds and work permitted. “Even now,” said the Minister, “only about half of the extra men have been discharged. Although it at one stage appeared that a number would have to be released about tho middle of December, in view of the desirability of keeping as many as possible in work until Christmas time a special meeting of the Cabinet committee was called on December 19 to consider the position and tho committee was able to arrange for the retention of the men until December 24, but was reluctantly compelled to issue instructions for 237, distributed throughout tho service, to be put off when that date arrived as no further money was available from the special fund provided by tho Primo Minister in connection with the scheme. “It is well known that in common with railway systems throughout tho world our department is passing through a difficult period of its existence and the task of reorientating its services to meet changing conditions in transport leaves no margin for loading on to the department’s working expenses account of a wages bill for several hundred additional men. The special funds made available to tho department by the Cabinet committee have been used up, and the work provided thereby, has, no doubt, enabled a happier Christmas to bo spent in many homes. “If individual employers would’recognise the real distress that it brings to tho homes of working people I do not seo how they could fail to commence .1930 with a resolution to give employment to at least ono more man. Such a movement would wipe out unemployment overnight. The Government has a duty to tho community and has demonstrated in a practical way its recognition of that duty, but the private employer has a less impersonal duty to his fellowmen and the time is ripe for him to follow tho lead of tho Government in discharging, his responsibility. There can bo no doubt that there is a growing tendency for all classes to lean upon tho Government in those matters and mistakenly to dismiss them as national problems, with which the individual has no concern.” As the .first step towards creating local interest in tho problem Mi Taverner urged that such bodies as chambers of commerce, manufacturers’ associations, employers’ federations and others should take the matter in hand during iho new year. Ho was confident Hurt with this, together with tho assistance of the State, which could always take up the slack, real progress would bo made in 1930.