UNRULY DEPUTATION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19867, 15 June 1927, Page 10

UNRULY DEPUTATION

MR. COATES MOLESTED UNEMPLOYED BUSH PRIME MINISTER A DISGRACEFUL SCENE [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, June 4. I A large deputation of unemployed which waited on the Primo Minister and the Minister of Labour to-day was certainly not on its best behaviour. Although only two members of the deputation were appointed to speak, the efforts of Mr R. McKean, M.P., and Mr P. Fraser, M.P., were unable to control the men or prevent numbers of them interjecting when the Minister of Labour and the Prime Minister were speaking to them. They were indignant that the wages of single men on relief work would not be more than 9s a day and maintained that they could not possibly live on that sum. They refused? to allow the Prime Minister to explain the position so far as it affected the Public Works Department, and his remarks that already the Department was employing between 4,000 and 5,000 more men than was required was received with derision. They crowded round the Prime Minister and when he opened his cigarette case in answer to a request for a cigarette they forged forward, breaking the table at which the Prime Minister and the Minister of Labour had been sitting, forced the Prime Minister against the wall, and knocked over a typiste, fortunately without harming her. The prime Minister made it plain ' that the Government would not now deviate from the policy already set out and ho advised the single men to organise and work in gangs. The suggestion was not favourably received.

UNEMPLOYMEW RELIEF GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE MINISTER PROMISES SUBSIDY The Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister of Labour) to-day outlined further -directions in which the Government was prepared to move to relieve the unemI ployed. The Government have decided to subsidise pound for borrow cd for the sole purpose of the relief of unemployment, provided the works have not been included in any schedule of works for which a loan has been raised by the local authority. The same subsidy will also be paid for voluntary subscriptions by private persons, provided these have been handed over to local bodies to be expended upon approved relief works. Where counties, road boards, or other botflies in rural destricts raise loans for the relief of unemployment the Government will consider each application on its merits and where approved will grant a pound for pour,fl subsidy upon the total cost of the work. Parliament will be asked to extend the operation of the Act passed last year to enable local bodies to raise loans for the relief of unemployment. No work will ho subsidised in a city, borough or town district unless 60 per cent, of the estimated cost is to be paid for labour on the actual work ■done.

The Government will subsidise such approved work up to 50 per cent, nf the cost of labour, based on 12s a flay for married mon and 9s a day for single men.