VOTE OF NO-CONFIDENCE

Taranaki Daily News, 6 May 1930, Page 11

VOTE OF NO-CONFIDENCE

RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYED

minister addresses meeting.

AUDIENCE ASKS MANY QUESTIONS.

By Association.

Auckland, Last Night. A motion expressing lack of confidence in the proposals of the Government to deal with the unemployment problem was passed at a meeting of unemployed men, which was addressed by the Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Public Works, to-day. : There was an attendance of about 500 men.

Mr. Ransom gave. an outline of what the Government had accomplished during the past year. He said the expenditure on relief works during 1928 had been £2,651,900, and this was increased to £3,051,000 in 1929. Subsidies to local bodies had been increased from £BOOO to £281,000. The total number of men at present employed by the Public Works Department was 5290, of whom 1600 were engaged on relief works. ArTangerpents had been made to give work to a further 30fi men in tho Auckland province, and 200 of these had already been placed. Tho Minister said efforts were being made by the Lands Department to open Crown lands for settlement.

Loud applause followed a question as to what the Government proposed to do for the great majority of unemployed, for . whom no arrangements bad been made.

Mr. Ransom said instructions had been issued to the engineers' of the Public Works Department to prepare several largo works. ‘ L-J “Wliat would be your reply to a man who said he did not', have one shilling in his pocket?” said another man. 4 The Minister said: he. would give him a shilling. , . I; ■ Cries of “Give its all a shilling” were heard from all parts, of the hall. The chairman asked the meeting whether the proposals were satisfactory. There was a very strong negative reply, while , a few voices replied in the affirmative. A motion expressing lack of confidence in tho Government’s proposals and also one demanding that Parliament should be summoned to deal with the problem were carried.

The publication of returns of unemployed men in the various centres ■was urged by several speakers at ..the meeting. When the question arose the Minister said it was not in the best interests of New Zealand that the number of unemployed should be continually paraded.

A voice: But it is in the best interests of the men.

The Minister invited anyone to give a good reason for publishing the figures, and the reply was given that it would serve to stop the stream of unemployed men from Australia.

The Minister said the argument was a good one, although ho did not consider the influx was very great. IA, voices You are afraid to publish them. .

“Wo are not afraid,” replied the Minister. “Fear is not in tho composition of the present Government.”

The Minister undertook to confer with the Minister of Labour.