POWERS UNSTATED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 117, 20 May 1932, Page 8

POWERS UNSTATED

UNEMPLOYMENT FIX COMMITTEE ALL RESIGN WELLINGTON DIFFICULTIES STATEMENT .BY CHAIRMAN [ Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, May 19. At a hurriedly called meeting of the Wellington Citizens’ Unemployment Committee to-day, the chairman (Mr J. I. Goldsmith) tendered his resignation. The grounds for his action are contained in a lengthy statment in which Mr Goldsmith sets, out that the committee has never received from the Unemployment Board or Minister a statement setting out specifically the nature of the committee’s powers for duties, the scope of its functions, or the extent of its jurisdiction. The committee cannot expect to function properly unless it is given the right to assume responsibility for all activities connected with unemployment in Wellington. Among the particular causes of complaint. Mr Goldsmith dwells upon the matter of applications for the exemption of going to unemployment camps, the whole matter being removed from the committee’s province and the committee being completely impotent. Within the past fortnight, Mr Goldsmith says, the Unemployment Board has directed the certifying officer to change the classification of each registered unemployed man in accordance with the revised scheme, but no comorunication on this most important and rital subject was sent to the commitsee, and they had only learnt of the ffiange after* the work had been done. He was positive that if the committee aad been given an opportunity to consider the proposed change it would have been possible for the committee to make representations to the Government with the object of securing a postponement of the reclassification mtil such time as Mr Coates was ready :o bring into effect his sustenance proposals. If this had been done, it was not stating the position too extravagantly to say that the whole of the present unfortunate trouble would have been avoided and the reputation of Wellington would not have been so sadly injured.

* 4 There is nothing to be gained by carrying on the work of this committee, as it is obvious that our sphere pf usefulness is ended. I propose, sherefore, to resign my position as chairman and member of th . Welling,on Citizens’ Unemployment Commitroe, leaving to each of you to say whether he will do likewise. In my ppinion the committee should call a general meeting and place their resignations in the hands of the Mayor.”

Following Mr Goldsmith’s lead, all of the members of the Wellington Unemployment Relief Committee have resigned.

COMMITTEE’S WORK TRIBUTE BY MR FORBES WELLINGTON, May 19. Speaking to a Post reporter, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes paid a warm tribute to the work performed by Mr Goldsmith and members of the Wellington Citizens’ Unemployment Committee. Mr Goldsmith, particularly, had carried a very heavy burden and had shown great capacity in handling the Work. He realised that Mr Goldsmith eould not be expected to carry on indefinitely, but ho hoped that he would still be able to take a live interest in the welfare w’ork.