MAYOR “FED UP”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19806, 23 May 1934, Page 6

MAYOR “FED UP”

CRITICISM OF RELIEF ADMINISTRATION SOME STRAIGHT TALK “I don’t know what this Committee is coming to but, personally, I am getting fed up,” said the Mayor (Mr T. W. Satterthwaite) in criticising the attitude adopted by members of the Unemployment Committee, of which he is chairman, at last night’s meeting of the Committee, during a somewhat heated debate regarding the Unemployment Board’s reply to the Committee’s representations for an increased allocation for relief workers. The Mayor contended that criticism of the Board’s policy would not improve the position of the unemployed and was in bad taste.

The reply stated that the Board found it impossible to comply with the Committee’s request and pointed out that Timaru, in common with othei centres, was receiving an equitable share of the funds available. The Rev. Clyde Carr, M.P., said that frequently he had pointed out that the original Unemployment Act provided for the payment of a definite scale of sustenance —so much for a man, so much for a wife, and so much for a child—but the terms of the Act had not been put into operation. He had previously been reported as saying that Parliament had not enacted the legislation, but his contention was that Parliament had passed the legislation and the burden of carrying it out fell on the Cabinet, which had failed to do so. “A Public Scandal.” Mr Carr said it was no comfort to Timaru to be told it received as good treatment as other places, and in some cases better. To him it was something amounting to a public scandal. If he had a broken leg, it was no comfort to him to know that someone else had a broken neck. The Committee had suggested ways and means of making money available for the relief of unemployment, but there was no reference to that in the reply. The fact remained that the amount of money available was insufficient, and the Government should find ways and means of raising money to enable the unemployed to live free from need and want. He hoped the Committee would not rest satisfied with the replies received, and he was glad to note that other centres had followed Timaru's lead and make similar protests to the Government. He hoped those protests would be continued with until ways were found to improve the position of the unemployed. Stating that “very inadequate consideration” had been given to the Committee’s protest, Mr H. G. Naylor said he agreed with Mr Carr’s remarks. Invariably when the Committee made representations to the Board and to the Minister it got the same reply—that Timaru got a fair share of the allocations. It seemed the Government treated the matter so lightly that the suggestions were not getting the consideration they deserved. The Government claimed that it did not intend that the Unemployment Board should supply sufficient to maintain a relief worker and his family, but that workers should augment their relief pay by obtaining other work; but through the very operation of that policy, it deprived the worker of getting work, for while there was so much free labour available, it was unlikely that local bodies were going to employ men at standard rates of pay. “The Government is relying on relief depots in the centres to augment what the unemployed are getting. These depots are getting to be permanent institutions,” said Mr Naylor. Work Done by Local Bodies. Mr Naylor said that it was a matter for regret that New Zealand, which could grow all the provisions it wanted, should lag so far behind Australia and England. In England and Australia rates of relief pay or sustenance were far in advance of New Zealand. “I agree with Mr Carr that the position is scandalous, and I think it is time a commission was set up to investigate the system of providing relief.” The Government, through the operation of its scheme, was allowing local bodies to have work done by unemployed labour. The Mayor: Can you name one? Mr Naylor said that, although he was aware of the facts, he was not in a position to name the bodies he referred to. He knew, however, that that was going on.

The Mayor retorted that Mr Naylor should not make statements which he could not substantiate. He was referring only to something he had been told. Mr Carr: What about the drainage of this borough? That was done by relief work. The Mayor: It is not being done by relief work. Mr Carr: But it was. The Mayor again invited Mr Naylor to name a local body which was using unemployed labour to do its tfork. Mr J. G. Leckie: I can nane one—the Railway Department. Mr Naylor explained that he was not criticising the local bodies f*r using unemployed labour. They had no option. It was the result of the Unemployment Board’s scheme. Sidestepping the Issue The Rev. Father Murphy, &M., also expressed disappointment vith the Board’s reply. ‘<They haie sidestepped the issue as they havs all the time we have been sitting on tkis Committee,” said Father Murphy, Vho added that he thought a further should be sent to the Board, There was no cloubt that :he local bodies had used the unemployed, stated Mr Leckie, who said he wts rather surprised at the replies the Committee had received to its representations. The Railway Department had usee the unemployed for relaying work and the Borough Council had used then for its drainage work, which was sklled labour which should have been done at standard rates of pay. Tie local bodies could not be blamed for they had only carried out the initructions of the Unemployment Boaid. “So long as they keep sidesteppini and get us to do their dirty work, we vill never get out of the mess we are in. If there was a war to-morrow, or anything else like that, tney w<uld raise money soon enough.” Reply Fully Explanatory. “I don’t know what this Committee is coming to, but, personajy, I am getting fed up,” commented tue Mayor. That kind of talk was not gfing to do the Committee any good, no! would it do Timaru any good. It was easy enough for them to “yabbei,” as one member had described it, and pull down, but it was not so eay to build up. In his opinion the replj was fully explanatory. The Board raising funds to distribute in as eqial proportion as it could, and Timar} was getting its fair allocation, and probably a little more. “I don’t thinU this kind of talk is doing us any gbd or the unemployed any good,” reseated the Mayor. Mr Carr: We are not so esily bluffed as some people. The Mayor: “We are hefe to assist the unemployed, but we an not helping them by talking as we &ve. It is

time we changed our attitude.” If anyone had any more to say about the matter he could have his say in Wellington. where he would get his reply from the heads. In his opinion, such discussion was not in good taste. Mr Carr (heatedly): You are not going to suggest that I have not said all this in Parliament. I am not going to be gagged while I am in Timaru. System Cannot Continue. Mr S. Lang said that, speaking as a direct representative of the unemployed workers, he was very dissatisfied with the attitude of the Board and the Minister. The Mayor had expressed the opinion that the Committee should not criticise the Board in any way and should carry' out its instruction, but ■-.e (Mr Lang) thought that the present system could not continue. In asking the unemployed to live on their allocation they were demanding something which was impossible if they were to pay full rent, and if they did not pay full rent another class of the community had to suffer. The Board and the Hon. A. Hamilton had never done mole in connection with the Committee’s protests than to say that Timaru was getting a fair share of the allocations. “We as direct representatives of the men have never asked the Board for anything from the other centres. We want the Board, the Minister and the Prime Minister to understand that the people of this country—a worthy people—who have never had to ask for anything, are now in the position of having to beg. We should acquaint the Government of the fact that the people are in want.” The Mayor: They know it. Mr Lang: Then why don’t they move? If I pursue this subject lam afraid it will become a political discussion. The Mayor: That is what it is coming to in this Committee. Mr Carr: No. I don’t think so. Further Resolution Carried. Mr Lang then moved that the Committee express its dissatisfaction with the reply received from the Unemployment Board. The motion was seconded by Mr Naylor, who suggested that Mr Lang should add that, in view of the opinions that had from time to time been expressed in the country, the Government should consider the advisability of setting up a committee of experts to investigate the present system of relief to find out if the criticism of it was justified. The motion was carried, the Mayoi and Messes H. J. Mathers, R. B. Hart and J. McCort voting against it. Mr McCort: It won’t do any good, but it can’t do any harm. Mr Carr: No. It’s like talking to a brick fence.