WORKERS’ UNION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 249, 20 October 1937, Page 9

WORKERS’ UNION

MUNICIPAL AND GENERAL THE WANGANUI BRANCH ANNUAL MEETING HELD There was a good attendance at the annual meeting of the Wanganui branch of the New Zealand Municipal and General Workers’ Union, held on Saturday night. Mr G. Yates presided. The district representative, Mr J. J. Scott, was in attendance. Messrs G. Yates and C. Smith were elcted to represent the oranch on the Labour Representation Council, and Messrs H. Adams and J. J. Scott were elected to the Wanganui Trades and Labour Council. Sustenance Frauds. ‘‘We have noticed recently that prominence has been given in the Magistrate's Court to what are termed "sustenance frauds,’ and when any of these cases come before the Courts, they are assured of wide publicity in the anti-Labour Press, ’ stated an extract from the pamphlet covering the general activities 01 lhe New Zealand Municipal and General Workers’ Union, extracts from whicn were read to the meeting. "We have carefully studied the various published cases of ’sustenance frauds,’ and lhe outstanding feature is the overwhelming motive of want. We do not condone these senseless methods of unfortunate men in attempting to get a little more of life's essentials, but we equally condemn the inequitable and, in some cases vicious, sentences which have been meted out to these wrongdoers. Of all the thousands of men on sustenance, it has been stated that only some £6OUO-odd has been wrongfully obtained.

"This, in our opinion, is a remarkably small amount when it is taken into consideration the total amount paid out, and the number of men concerned, and is a tribute to the integrity of the majority of the men. Our experience of the workers is that if they have sufficient to meet the needs of themselves and their family, they will not readily stoop to dishonesty, and the obvious remedy for ‘sustenance frauds’ is to remove the motive.” Back Wages. "From March 9 until September 18 a grand total of £987 14s lOd was recovered on behalf of various members, representing wages which had not been paid to them by their respective employers,” the same pamphlet stated. "The total is made up of various individual amounts varying from the payment of £52 in one case to Is in the case of the lowest amount. In addition to these amounts various other adjustments were made respecting holiday pay ment and compensation for injuries received which had been refused by the various insurance companies. In connection with these payments, our representatives in the outlying districts were responsible for the collection of a goodly proportion of the total.”