UNEMPLOYMENT UNION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19511, 9 June 1933, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT UNION

INCREASED ALLOCATIONS SOUGHT. DEPUTATION OF TIMARU WOMEN. The support of the Timaru Unemployed Workers Union for a petition to the Minister of Employment (the Hon. Adam Hamilton), praying for increased allocations and the abolition of the stand-down week, was sought by a deputation of wives of Timaru relief workers at the bi-annual meeting of the Union last night. In introducing the deputation to the meeting, the chairman (Mr S. Lang) informed the women that at a conference of the National Union of Unemployed, held recently in Wellington, it had been decided to circularise a petition among women to forward to the Minister of Employment. He suggested that the Timaru women should join up with the national movement. The leader of the deputation (Mrs A. S. Robinson), said that many of the unemployed had reached a state when they could not carry on. Some received £4/10/- a month, and out of that they paid £4 for rent, and were left with 10/- to carry on for the rest of the month. There were many cases in which landlords were hostile to the unemployed, some of whom were desperate. The speaker quoted several instances in which tenants had been badly treated, and added that the unemployed could not go on under such conditions. The time had come when the women should club together and send a petition to the Minister of Employment asking for better conditions. It was proposed to hold a mass meeting of the waves of unemployed, and it was hoped to get at least 800 signatures to the petition. The chairman said he was glad the women had come along to assist the unemployed, but he thought it would be better if the women carried on apart from the Union, and co-operated with the promoters of the national petition. He then reviewed the discussion which took place with the Minister of Employment, and gave details of allocations in force in Christchurch and Timaru, showing that men in the cities w’ere better treated. Speaking of the rationing system, Mr Lang said he had been instructed to write to the Board inquiring about the scheme, but no reply had been received. When the deputation had withdrawn, Mr R. Laplanche said he thought the petition should not be confined to the wives of unemployed, but should be open to all women, the husbands of whom might be on the unemployed to-morrow or the day after. The more names on the petition, the more weight it would carry. He moved that it be recommended to the promoters that the petition be made open to all women. The recommendation was seconded by Mr T. Barnet. It was pointed out by Mr E. W. Jones that the fact that the names of women whose husbands were not unemployed were on the petition might do it harm, and he moved as an amendment that the petition of the Timaru ladies be supported. This was seconded by Mr E. Fitzgerald. The opinion that it would be an impertinence on the part of the Union to tell the women what to do was voiced by Mr G. T. Koller, who said there was no need for motion or amendment. He pointed out that the national petition might not be the same as that advanced by the Timaru women, and it was important that both should be the same in their prayer. He suggested that the Timaru promoters be advised to defer action until they had communicated with the promoters of the national petition, and moved a further amendment on those lines, which was seconded'by Mr J. Parker. The recommendation and first amendment were then withdrawn, and Mr Koller’s amendment was carried. It was decided to give publicity to the petition in an effort to obtain as many signatures as possible. Election of Officers. The following officers were elected for the ensuing six months:—President, Mr S. Lang; vice-president, Mr E. W. Jones; secretary and treasurer, Mr G. T. Koller; collector. Mr F. Hilton; executive, Messrs A. S. Wilkes, F. H. Baylis, R. Green, A. E. Cunningham, E. Fitzgerald, A. S. Robinson; auditors. Messrs G. Griffiths and P. D. Hay. A report of the business of the last meeting of the Unemployment Committee, supplied by the chairman, was adopted. The chairman expressed appreciation of the action of the management of the picture theatres in granting concessions to the unemployed, and a unanimous vote of thanks was accorded them.