UNEMPLOYMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 22 October 1930, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. IMMEDIATE ACTION URGED. (By Telegraph—Press Association). WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Another large deputation of unemployed waited on the Minister of (Labour (the Hon. S. G. Smith) to-day asking for immediate action by the Government in order that the desperate distress of many of the men could be relieved. In reply, the Minister stated that he would place their ease immediately before Cabinet, and also announced that he hoped that the Unemployment Board would bo functioning next month. In introducing the deputation on behalf of Messrs R. McKeen, C. H. Chapman, R. Semple, M’s.P., and himself, Mr P. Fraser, M.P., said that some men had been out of work for weeks, and others for months. They were experiencing desperately hard times —the hardest times they had ever known. Some of the men mere married and had been threatened with eviction for rent. Some of the single men had been sleeping outside or seeking shelter from charitable institutions. “I have never known such -a dreadful period,” said Mr Fraser, “and we have come here to ask you to do something effective to find work for these men.” The Unemployment Act would not be put into operation for some time, and in the meantime the men wanted work. If work could not be provided they should receive the adequate -sustenance they were entitled to. Other -speakers were Messrs J. Moulton, F. D. Cornwell and McLaglan. In reply to a statement by Mr Cornwell, the Minister said that the Government had no intention of sacking hundreds of men. Mr Smith said lie wished to congratulate the deputation on the way they had presented their case. He was sorry he could not give them any definite promise, as at present he had no power to give them work, but lie would place their case immediately before the 'Cabinet Unemployment Committee. Once ‘the Unemployment Board was set up and he hoped it would be established early next month—lie would be the right man to approach. It seemed to him that because of the generous way in which the Wellington City Council had catered for the unemployed, a number of men had gravitated to Wellington. At the present time the Council had 500 men on relief works, and the Government had provided £21,000 by way of subsidies. He was sorry to say that a number of the other local bodies had not taken advantage of the Government’s offer of a subsidy. Had they done this the position would not have been as bad as it was to-day. The reason the Unemployment Board had not come into operation earlier was that every industrial union, no matter how small, had to be considered when nominations were being called for the personnel, but he hoped that within a week after November 7tli he would be able to announce the personnel. The board would then set to work immediately, and with the £IOO,OOO provided by the Government, it was hoped that work would be found in a very short time. If jobs could not be provided the unemployed would then have an organisation which they could approach for the assistance to which they were entitled. In April last the Government had 10,353 men on relief works, and many of these had left of their own accord. Ho denied absolutely and emphatically that the Government intended to sack hundreds of men as soon as the session ended. Thero had never been the slightest suggestion of this. He sympathised with the men in their efforts to obtain work, because he believed that no one in the room wanted charity, and he hoped that the board would aid them in finding that work.