UNEMPLOYMENT ACT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 438, 2 December 1930, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT ACT

PUBLIC MEETING CRITICISM

A SCEPTICAL NOTE SOUNDED Though the Unemployment Act has just begun to take effect there were some present at the public meeting held in Wanganui last night who were sceptical of its success. One man twitted the Government with camouflage. The Mayor referred to it as new machinery which had to be tested- He pointed out that of £lOO,OOO provided from the Consolidated Fund £25,000 had been made available to local bodies for relief of unemployment through the medium of subsidies on approved work of a capital nature. Mr J. T. Hogan. M.P.. who was chairman of the Parliamentary Reccss Committee which recommended the Board s formation and collctced such a wealth of evidence for its guidance, said that he had hoped that the committee would have been retained in office for a time. All the members of the Unemployment Board were new. However, they had the committee’s evidence to guide them.

“Although the Government has placed the unemployment Act on the Statute book, I am not going to say that it will sweep away all our troubles,’ Mr Hogan proceeded. “It wi p help very materially. With a million pounds to spend it can do a lot if it gets assistance from the country and from those private people who have money and can afford to spend it. If they lossen up they can help very considerably.

The speaker. stressing that the Board had to find work for all classes of unemployed, pointed to the magnitude of the task. Having been on the Recess Committee be knew what lay before the Board- He was of opinion that in visiting the centres, the whole Board should travel. It was not the opinion of individual members that was wanted but the Board’s collective policy. “Upon the policy of the Board depends Mie future of the Act.” Air Hogan stated. “In setting up your local committee you must have people who ai/e prepared to work. A ou can t sit and look at one another. There is no need to-day, for a man who can afford the expense, to say he shall not have his hedge trimmed, or his fence repaired because of the state of New Zealand- The circulation of money is what is wanted. Five pounds passing through several hands becomes £5OO with circulation.”

The speaker said that £•••'.000.000 was held in the Post Office Savings Bank and £32.000,000 by the commercial banks on fixed deposit. This lattei amount was £12,000,000 greater than last vear.

“What a great difference it would make if that money was in circulation,” he proceeded. “Let the people who have it spend it. Before they spend a great deal in death duties let them do some good while they live and spend before they die.” (Applause). A voice: Aren’t they going to give preference to married men? Another voice: And let the single men starve? I like that“I’d like to say something about spending this money.” another man present cut in. “Don’t spend it on contract rates. On public works anyway. I tel] you I am pretty sore about this public'works stunt. We worked day and night. There are six of us here and we didn’t make twelve bob a dayWe are all pretty sore. A man who is not worth fourteen buo a day ought to jump in the river.” There was loud applause at this stage. Another man complained that be was a married man with four children but “they” had taken his single brother on. A voice; A family matter. Another voice: 1 would like tu ask a question anyway. What about this seven and sixpence due to-day? The Mayor replied that he could only repeat what was in the Act and what had appeared in the press. “Does it mean that the Government is sincere in all these proposals?” another man wanted to know. “They’ve talked about relieving unemployment, but they never carried their proposals out. Is this all camouflage?”

Air Rogers replied that he was not a thought reader, but he would hesitate to impute wrong motives to others. “1 am not in a position to answer your question.” he said finally. Somebody else wanted to know what the position was. when an unemployed man was not of the labouring class.

Air Hogan replied that it was the Board’s task to find work for all classes. How they are going to do it I don’t know.” he said. “There arc some men not fit to do certain work.’ The Mayor read a clause from the Act which said fairly plainly that if a man refused work offered he cut himself adrift from any further benefit.

“But.” Air Rogers added, “the Unemployment Board is composed of sane men. They will know whether a man is fit or not and will act accordingly. No sane body of men would ask a man who is not fit to work.”

Air J. J. Scott decided to summarise the position. After listening to all that had been said he was of opinion that the “generous” offer of the Unemployment Board was going to be no good to Wanganui whatever. There was nobody here, outside the Aero Club, who was going to provide funds to get the subsidy.

“The Board has decided to give £25.000 to the whole Dominion between this and Christmas,” he said. “That’s all very well, but we can do with £25.000 in Wanganui alone. (Applause and a loud chorus of “hear, hear”). “It is a good idea to get members of the Unemployment Board to come to Wanganui. 1 will have something to say to them. And we talk of going to the Minister of Labour. I don’t know about that- Haven 't we got our own Minister here, and isn’t he an. ex-Alinister of Labour? It looks pretty bad when wo have to go past him.” In defence of the Hon. W. A. Veitch the Alayor said that the meeting had been called so hurriedly that it was impossible for him to be present.

At this stage another man present caused a diversion by suggesting that the wealth of the country should be conscripted- “Just as they conscripted us in 1914, when there was a little capitalists’ war in France,” he added-

A voice: Didn’t the Government hold out a bait of two for one subsidy last year? They haven’t paid it. It was only camouflage.

At this stage somebody suggested that the meeting was developing into (Donnybrook.

The Mayor: 1 have every bit uf respect for the man who speaks from deep down in his heart. If a man does speak strongly it is because of the suf-

feting he sees every day. I am not going to chide a man for giving expression to his feelings.

Sustained applause followed. Mr Townsend wanted to know when the sustenance allowance would be paid. Air Hogan replied that it would be available within a fortnight, he thought. Air Townsend: Unless a man pays seven and sixpence he is not a contributor. What is the position when a man can’t afford that?

Air Hogan replied that the details of the scheme would be carried out as the Board went along. Another man who had been quietly working out figures informed the meeting that the levy at 30s per head on all males over 20 years of age would produce a million pounds. He estimated the unemployed at 10,000. “That is a reasonable figure,” he said, “and if the Board made all the money available that ten thousand could get six weeks’ work at £4 a week. Six solid weeks at four pounds- Why can’t they do something?” The Mayor replied that ihe public could only take the Act as they found