Relief Workers and Rations

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7282, 9 October 1933, Page 10

Relief Workers and Rations

MAYOR REPLIES TO DEPUTATION The opinion that if the principle of working for rations was changed, a great amount of voluntary support from citizens would be lost, was voiced by. the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) when he received a deputation of about twenty relief workers on Saturday morning. The deputation expressed the view that anything they obtained by way of rations should bo as a subsidy to the bedrock wages received, for relief work. The men were totally opposed to tho principle of working for rations and they intended to stand firm as they felt it was the "thin edge of the wedge. ” Mr Mansford, in his Tcply, said n heart to heart talk was desirable. “I feol that there is something further underlying this deputation,” he added. ‘‘l am perfectly candid in expressing mv own opinion—and not that of the .Relief Committee—that it is in the interests of the whole of tho unemployed that work should be done for the rations, not with the idea of getting in tho /thin edge of the wedge, but because if it were otherwise a great amount of support from the citizens would be lost. Quite a number are doing a lot anonymously for the unemployed. One man is giving an order on stores for goods to the value of £5 a month, and none of us know' from W'hom it is coming. "So far as I am personally concerned as Mayor, I. have done my best and must carry out a policy which I think is in tho interests of the majority of the workers.” Mr Mansford said he was very firm ly convinced that most of the men were satisfied to work for rations. Mr Maudeno alleged that the Mayor was making capital out of ) and hiding behind, the statement of one particular man. The Mayor: 1 will not stand this nonsense. I have met you men fairly and if you are going to make tbeso statements I will not listen. Mr Maudeno alleged (.bat the system was being used because the Mayor did not want the workers to be organised here, The Mayor said, he had always been on the side of the relief workers aud would give every assistance even if they established their own relief depot.