PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19314, 21 July 1934, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

CITRUS FRUIT EMBARGO. SUSTENANCE RATES OF PAY. REQUEST TO MINISTER. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The House of Representatives met a li o’clock this morning. Mr D. G. Sullivan (Labour—Avon), asked the Minister of Customs, Mr Coates, whether the negotiations foi the removal of the embargo on citrus fruits from Australia had yet been completed. Mr Coates replied that the negotiations were being completed and he hoped to make an announcement very shortly, possibly to-morrow. Mr Sullivan then moved for leave to introduce the Unemployment Amendment Bill, the aim of which, lie said, was to try to prevent a repetition in his city or anywhere else in the Doitiinion of what he said he could only characterise as “ wanton barbaious cruelty inflicted upon three oi four hundred citizens of Christchurch by the Unemployment Board.” The men were working for the North Canterbury Hospital Board and other local bodies, and they were deliberately taken off those works and put on sustenance at hajf rates. He instanced cases which were before the Christchurch City Council at its last meeting and said that what was happening in Christchurch was happening in other places also. Position of Board Indefensible. The position of the Unemployment Board was indefensible, continued Mr Sullivan.’ No member of the House could uphold it. He asked the House to repudiate the action of the Board in the name of common humanity. He had managed to have most of the men again placed in work, and he asked the Minister in charge of the Board to see that the officer in charge of the Labour Department at Christchurch should not be penalised foi the actions he had taken in response to Mr Sullivan’s representations. Ho wanted the Government to use the power it already had to tell the Unemployment Board to pay relief workers the sustenance rate provided for in the original Act, which still remained on the Statute Book. Mr Sullivan said nothing worse had ever happened in the history of the Dominion than what the Board had done and the Government was primarily responsible. Mr W. A. Veitch (Independent — Wanganui) said the men in his district were suffering more than those Mr Sullivan mentioned. He reviewed the conditions of country unemployed compared with city men, and said the whole position should he overhauled. The B class men were the worst sufferers. lie said there was no danger of the men malingering or that the problem of malingering would become so acute that it would be worth considering. A Question of Humanity. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr M. J. Savage, said he could not understand the viewpoint of the Ministers. He had representations from Invercargill to Auckland giving the conditions under which people were expected to exist. Only recently a meeting was held at Auckland, but the Government took no action. The people were not going to put up with the position for all time. It was a question of humanity. There had to be a stopping-place somewhere or some time, yet the Government did nothing. It was not a matter for the hospital boards. The Unemployment Board was not carrying out its part of the contact. One could not find words to express the conditions existing in the country to-day. It was not a party matter, said Mr Savage. All members must know what was happening. They had one rate for the pakeha and another for the Maori, they had one.rate for-the citv and another for the country. How could that be juslifled? The Labour Party would do anything under the sun to make the position right. Something would happen. One might just as well he dead as to allow the present- position to continue. If the Government allowed itself to be put in a false position by the Unemployment Board, it deserved whatever came to it. Money Going in Wrong Directions. Mr A. D. McLeod (Government — Wairarapa), said none of the unemployed was getting what he could do with, but nobody in tnat or-any other debate had said where the money was to come from. No people in the country were starving, although they were on short rations. Scores of men in the country had just as much right as the city men to complain, lie knew how hard” it was for people paying taxation, but no member had explained how the position could be remedied. Mr R. Semple (Labour —Wellington East), said no one would deny that the people were overtaxed but the money was going in the wrong directions, the wealthy firms receiving subsidies which should go to the relief workers. He asked tile Government to deny the statement that a large woolgrower, whom lie named, who was receiving the benefit of the higher exchange, was receiving a subsidy from the Unemployment Board to pay his workers. It. was a scandal. The money should be devoted lo Hie relief workers. 11 e mentioned oilier -names of wool-growers who, lie said, received subsidies from the Unemployment Board. Position Becoming Intolerable. Mr Semple also mentioned the Southland Frozen Meat Company, which paid a dividend of 381 per cent., and was receiving a subsidy, lie criticised the Hawke’s Bay Racing Club for receiving a share in an art union, and said it was organised legalised' theft to take money from the pockets of the poor to feed the rich men. He bad been trying unsuccessfully to secure details of the 1110,000 subsidy lo freezing companies, lie said it was given at a time when the wages of workers were reduced, and w hen the chain system was introduced. He protested against girls being employed in freezing works and said the Government, was using the money to enrich the rich and impoverish the poor, keeping wages down lo the lowest possible level. Mr H. A. Wright (Independent— Wellington Suburbs) said Hie position was becoming intolerable and people were becoming incensed and indignant. They said llie. House was (Continued lu next column.)

doing nothing. Many members were anxious to do somelliing bid they were not numerous enough to do anything lud represent lo Iho stronger party the grave issues that were at stake. He urged that a non-paidy eominitlee should lie set up lo investigate the problem, and to try to liml a way out. .Mr it. McKeen (t.aliour —■AVellinglon South), criticised the iiools wldeli were issued lo relief workers. lie said many of them were absolute rubbish. The treatment accorded to Hie men on sustenance was barbarous. The luncheon adjournment was then ' ikea.