UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 177, 29 July 1932, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

PAYMENT FOR COMMODITIES SCHEME OF SELF-HELP WANGANUI COMMITTEE’S DECISIONS Three important decisions were made at a meeting of the Wanganui Unemployment Committee yesterday morning—(l) That all goods distributed by the central relief depot to the unemployed be charged for and that the proceeds be used to increase the allocation of work for the two and three-day men who are not receiving their full quota at present; (2) that the stand-down week be abolished and that the work be spread over four weeks; (3) that a sub committee give consideration to necessitous cases and that such cases be reported to the committee at each fortnightly meeting.

A further meeting of the committee is to be held this morning to decide when these decisions shall come into force. There was a full attendance of members yesterday and the meeting lasted for about two and three-quarter hours, a large deputation of the unemployed being received and heard. The following were the members present: —Air. A. E. Halligan (chairman), the Mayor (Mr. N. G. Armstrong), Messrs. R. R Dawson, J. D. Crowley, H. Rowell, W. J. Rogers, J. McDonald, L. Chisholm, T. Dix, E. O’Afeara, Pastor Page, Rev. J. A. Young, Rev. R. Dudley, Rev. J. Paterson and Adjutant Hawkes. The meeting was informed that a deputation was waiting to be received. It was stated that a complaint was to be made regarding a decision to charge the unemployed for relief received at the central depot as from next Mon day. It Was decided to hear the deputation and three speakers were allowed five minutes each, two being representatives of the unemployed and a third representing the Maori unemployed. Mr. Adams and Air. Hooper spoke for the unemployed and Afr. Marumam for the Maoris. AH three protested against charges being made for the goods. While realising that the committee itself was bound by instructions from the Unemployment Board it was suggested that the committee should unite with the citizens of Wanganui in an appeal to the board for better conditions for the unemployed. Tf hotter conditions could not be obtained then the committee should resign in nrotest. A woman present among the deputation asked that cases of extreme should be attended to. After hearing the speakers it was suggested by Mr. Rogers thnt the Mayor (Mr. Armstrong), should make a statement. The Mayor’s Statement. Mr. Armstrong said that it was unfortunate that what had only been a suggestion had been accepted as a decision. The position was that the coin mittee was short of money and that the central relief depot had been established to provide machinery in place of the system carried out by the hospital boards. When the hospital had ceased to operate it had been anticipated that Government assistance would be given to the depot, but that assistance was not given. The problem was to discover what was the fairest possible way in which the money at the committee’s disposal could be distributed.

Some time ago the Mayors of the different cities had waited on the Minister of Employment to discuss the position and the Minister had stated that he had schemes in view but that they would require more money. Parliament had met in April and the Is in the £ had been decided upon. It was understood that that would be imposed on May 1. but a month’s grace had been allowed so that the tax had not been collected until May 31. Tt had been hoped that increasing the tax by four times its original amount would mean more revenue, but it had been found that it was not producing any thing like the amount anticipated. The board was then faced with the fact that it had not sufficient money to carry out the schemes. The board received a weekly amount from the Treasury and it could not exceed that amount when making allocations.

Definite information had been sought for by the Wanganui Unemployment Committee but it could not be obtained. Several representations had been made and, finally, Mr. E. Jessop camo to Wanganui with the inlormu lion, which had been made public in the paper yesterday morning. It had been decided by the Wanganui committee that fuur-day men should be given their full quota ol work in order that the women and children might bo provided for. The three and the two-day men had been cut down. But that scheme had not always worked equitably for two or three-day men might have unemployed children who were aged about 18 and those children required more susten ance than the smaller ones. The committee was up against the rule laid down by the board which must be followed—that the men getting their fab allocation were uot to be given any further sustenance. Spinning Out Rinds There was not sufficient money tv give every man his full allocation and the fairest possible scheme to help the unemployed had to be evolved. The proposal with regard to charging for tho commodities was only a suggestion and had not been before the committee. He (Air. Armstrong) had a suggestion to make, but if anyone had a better proposal lie would cheerfully throw his aside. The committee was doing everything that it possibly could and although representation after representation had been made it was laced by the clear fact that the. board could not exceed the money given to it, and that it could not obtain more until Parliament met. The committee’s problem was to make the money at its disposal go out in the fairest way. “At present the committee is receiving an extra allocation of £49 a week, which has been used in buying groceries. The committee has to distinguish among the 1400 men, those who are best entitled to it. Dividing that sum among 1400 men each would receive 5Jd. It is no good trying to distribute that, amount to each man, and it would be a very big job to say which man needed assistance more than another. J am always opposed to giv- --*«■ out provisions if they can be paid

lor in cash. Tho average unemployed man would rather work and receive cash and spend it himself. Tastes are different, and when people arc tied down by a regulation issue they have no choice of variation of their food. Therefore 1 suggest that instead of buying groceries, that the sum of £4O should be added to the allocation of the two and three-day men who are short, and that a small charge be made for meat and boots. The money so obtained can be used to build up lhe allocation of those two and three-day men. ’ ’

In addition to small charges being made for these commodities, Mr. Armstrong said that any cash donations received by the committee, such ns the proceeds from concerts, the Police and Press football match, or other sources, could be used to build up the allocation for those two and three-day men. Although a slight charge would be made, that money would be going ack to the pockets of the unemployed themselves, and he thought that that would be a fair proposition. Of course the committee might not approve of his suggestion, and if they threw it out to replace it by a better scheme he would be only too pleased. Cash Basis “Only Way” It was obvious that unless they were satisfied with the present scheme another one would have to be found. He considered that the cash basis was the only way of making an insufficient amount of money go a long way. Ho did want to emphasise that they were bound by the rule that the extra allocation of £4O was not to be used for tho men who were receiving their full quota of work. No scheme would be perfect when there was a shortage of money, but he could assure the deputation that this matter would receive every consideration from tho committee. Mr. Gohns also addressed the meeting and several questions were asked and answered, after which the deputation retired. Round-table discussion followed on the Mayor’s proposal, which was seconded by Mr. Dawson. Ho pointed out that everything would go back to the unemployed and would be distributed equitably. On being put to the meeting the motion was carried unanimously. The other two motions w’ere also carried.