RELIEF WORKERS’ RENT

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18877, 22 February 1933, Page 2

RELIEF WORKERS’ RENT

15 IMPOSSIBLE TO PAY.”

ADMISSION BY MINISTER.

AID FROM FUND REQUESTED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The statement that six unemployed workers’ families in Westport, v>iih more than 20 children in all, had received notices to vacate their homes, was made by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr 11. E. Holland, in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr Holland asked whether the Government would apply the principle of the small farms legislation to these cases and arrange for rent to he paid out of the Unemployment Fund, or take some other immediate steps to ensure that the families would not bv left homeless. The Won. A. Hamilton, Minister of Employment, said he would look Into the cases mentioned. He pointed out that In the majority of cases, sustenance given to men who,went on to small farms was only for six months, and then ceased altogether. The men were given a certain amount of sustenance, hut it was taken back as payment for rent. Sustenance paid to men in towns was regarded as sufficient to cover the payment o'f rent. 'Mr F. W. Schramm (Labour —Auckland East) : llow do you expect a man receiving 25s a week to pay £1 a week for rent? Mr Hamilton: I admit that is impossible, hut men are expected to pay >vhat rent they can.

jhen on sustenance.

■QUESTION OF WAITING,

, Telegraphy—Press Association.! WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The position of men en sustenjmee whs brought to the notice of the Minister pf Employment, the Hon. A. Hamilton, in the House of Representatives to-day in a question asked by Mr A. S. Richards (Labour —Roskill). Mr Richards asked whether arrangements would he made to pay all men placed on sustenance the amount of sustenance pay due to them from the date when they were first placed on a sustenance allowance, instead of compelling them to wait a fortnight for the first payment. Mr Hamilton said it was the universal practice to require men, on registering or renewing registration, to stand down for a fortnight before they could he considered eligible for relief. He regretted that it was Impossible to malco some payment to cover that period, and pointed out that if a man had been in steady employment for some time, be could afford to stand down for a fortnight before receiving sustenance.

PROPOSED DEMONSTRATION,

BALLOT TO BE TAKEN,

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. A proposal' that a mass demonstration should take place on Saturday morning next, 'starting in Courtenay Place and proceeding to Parliament building, as a protest against the reductions' in the allocation of work, was made by .--the Communist element at a meeting of the Relief Workers* Union last night. A motion to decide forthwith on a demonstration was negative, and hy a bare majority it was resolved to take a ballot on all relief jobs, whether the men are members of the union or not. The meeting also criticised the board’s new enquiry form, and decided to take steps to test the feeling of all relief workers on the question of. Publishing the details required by the form. TROUBLE AT CAMP SETTLED. MASTERTON, Tuesday. The trouble at the relief work camp at Devil’s- Elbow has been settled. Arrangements • have been made to allow' the four. men. who had been dismissed to return pending their transfer,.to. other camps under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department. .