Efficiency of Relief Workers

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7278, 4 October 1933, Page 12

Efficiency of Relief Workers

To the Editor. Sir, —In the report of the meeting of the Manawatu Drainage Board of yesterday, alarm was expressed by the members at the slowness of the work on the Mangaone stream job. Tho relief workers on this job were taken to task for not being 100 per cent, efficient “navvies.” Do not the members of the board know that all classes of workers are unfortunate to be on the unemployed list? Do they realise that relief work is especially for unemployed whether first-class “navvies” or not? Now, sir, the money for this work is being provided by the Unemployment Board from the wages tax and levy imposed on all for this purpose. Is it in the province of any one body to say what class of man they shall employ, when the money is provided free by' another body? The members of the Unemployed Workers’ Movement realise that this alarm is so much nonsense, as it is only paving the way for the piecework or contract system that is shortly to be brought into operation by the Unemployment Board backed up by such bodies as the Manawatu Drainage Board. Why all this camouflage? Why not be honest and tell the people especially the relief workers, that they are going to put into operation the contract system on relief works? Is it that too many relief workers have too much time on their hands and that in tho opinion of the members of the Drainage Board they should be made to work a full week under the contract system for tho samo allocation as at present? This is just what their expressions convey. Possibly it may also be the paving of the way for married men’s camps. Tho farmers are crying out that they cannot get labour for their farms, because men prefer camps to farm work, yet farmers still persist in advocating further camps for the unemployed. Where are wo drifting to? Soon under the present’system and policy of tho Governmfent and its supporters, all workers will be unemployed and doing rationed work at the expense of the public. This was tho downfall of Pome. Our organisation claims the only solution of the problem to get the unemployed back into useful channels of employment and off the “rationed slave market,” is for Trade Union rates of pay on all work. This can be done if tho Unemployment Board spent all the money collected on tho unemployed. Work begets work, unemployment begets unemployment. —We are, sir,

PUBLICITY COMMITTEE, Unemployed Workers’ Movement, S/10/33.