NEW RELIEF RATES.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18630, 7 May 1932, Page 4

NEW RELIEF RATES.

DELAY IN APPLICATION.

COMMITTEE PROTESTB.

POLICY CRITICISED. The Hamilton Unemployment Committee has decided to enter a most emphatic protest against the delay in arranging for the application of the new scale of relief wages to the Hamilton district and to the “out” of eight hours necessarily Imposed on town workers under the No. 6 Scheme this and last week.

“It’s a little over the odds that these continual cuts should be made, said the chairman, Dr. F. D. Pinfold, at the committee’s meeting yesterday. “It is hard to understand why the Government does not supplement the allocation when the number of men Increases. This Increase is the cause of the cuts."

In reply to the chairman, Mr F. Wilson of the Labour Department stated that he had no intimation of when the new scale of rates was to come in force. The coming week, he knew though, woul dbe on the usual basis. After authority’ had been received in Hamilton for the introduction of the new- rates it would be a week before they became applicable.

“Some of the amounts earned are miserable for a civilised country,” said Dr. Pinfold. “Some of the single men in towns receive 8s a week. That they should be expected to live on that is absolutely ridiculous. The low rate is supposed to induce them to find work elsewhere, but there is no work in towns and farmers cannot afford to pay labour. Some married men are receiving 12s 6d a week for two days’ work. Picture to yourselves, gentlemen, how you would like to receive that for your wife and; yourself. How can they pay rent? It 1 means the landlord Is beaten and, therefore can’t pay taxes. It is the Government’s job to give these men enough to live on.” Explaining the difference ncLwoenl the cuts in town and country work, Mr Wilson said that men ha l to be! transported to jobs in the country byl the farmers employing them, “You 1 cannot,” he added, “ask a farmer to 1 transport men for half a day’s work ” Nearly every unemployed man to whom the scheme applied had been offered a job “over the fence.” A great number of them had refused. Indeed it had been difficult to secure the last quota. The men “over the fence" were doing great work. As a matter of fact the farmers were so satisfied that they had collected £6O as additional payment for the work done. This had been forwarded by the Hamilton labour- office to the Unemployment Board at Wellington. Should Remain In Hamilton. “I most emphatically protest,” said the chairman, “that money should have been used to provide extra work in Hamilton.” The committee should not be compelled to differentiate between town and country work, added Dr. Pinfold. “If yoji don’t differentiate you won’t get the men to go out 10 miles to work,” remarked Mr Wilson. “That is -so,” said Mr A. A. Woodward, “on wet winter nights they won’t go.” Mr Wilson: The committee shoul<| back us up. If the men won’t go it should be finish. They should b« turned down like they turn them down in Auckland.” “The situation has not altered her* as to allocations although the tax ha* been increased. The board say* there are new regulations, and yet apparently there are not any regulations," remarked Mr R. Worley. When the tax was 3d in the pound many people, farmer and townspeople, were providing wmrk for th* unemployed On their own initiative. With the tax at Is in the pound they would be unable to do so, said Mr W. L. Waddel. The new regulation* would apply in Auckland next week. Why, therefore should they not come in force here at the same time?

“The amount it costs to collect that levy is appalling. I read somewhere, if I remember aright, that it amounted to 50 per cent," said the chairman. “Where does It go?”

Mr Wilson: I should not Imagine that that was correct. The Post Office collects it and only takes a very small proportion.

“Salaries and wages pay the new tax,” said Mr Woodward. “There are no incomes now.

There being no further discussion on the subject the protest as outlined above was agreed to.

The committee then confirmed the action of Mr Wilson In helping men to work In the country. In answer to the chairman, the secretary, Mr E. A. Latham, said that there would be no additional allocation this week.

Mr Wilson explained that it was impossible to tell until the Tuesday of each week what his office had to pay. Some men secured other work at the beginning of the week, and others after working for a day or two obtained outside work for a period. “Hamilton Is not the lOnly place which suffers from a cut,” remarked Mr Woodward.

Mr Wilson: Others suffer too. For instance in some places men work for two weeks and stand down two weeks. They are apparently getting full time, but in reality they In tho same position as men In Hamlton.