KAIHERE RELIEF WORKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20092, 1 November 1928, Page 16

KAIHERE RELIEF WORKS.

FLAX-PLANTING OPERATIONS

GOOD PAY FOR FAST MEN

I i:y TKi/:cu.\rn. —own colu;i:sl'oni)i:nt. ] PAETJOA, Wednesday.

Good workers 011 (lie unemployment relief works are making good wages at Kailiere, where an area of about 400 acres of Government owned swamp, in the ponding area south of the. Ngaru Canal, is being planted in fiax by relief workers. A vote of £2OOO was made by Parliament for this work as part of its scheme of dealing with unemployment. At present there are 32 men in the camp, which is situated on the right bank of the Piako River, opposite the Xgaru landing, but the number varies almost daily as men leave for other employment and others arrive from Auckland and Thames. The digging, cutting and planting of the fax is done by co-operative contract at fixed rates and conscientious workers make good wages. The rates are as follows :—('utting and digging, 2s 2d per ) l'lanls for mat ried men, and Is 7jd tor single men; planting 3s <ld per 100 for married men and 2s 6d for single men. The ilants are carted by wages men and placed at the ends of pegged lines, along which lliev are to be planted. (hie worker states I hat he made £l3 16s "d for 20 days' planting in the past, month. 11 is bigye-t day's t ally was worth 19s and another. ISs. Others in the camp stated that he is not. the fastest worker. They told of other men who had earned as little as Is <ld for a day's work. Kome men were nnsuited to the work. There have been several stoppages in the past month on account of an overabundance of water. The area is in the Piako Piver ponding area and so far this month there has been almost 5j inches of rain. In order to keep the men employed work is found them at cutting manuka. The rate for this is 12s an acre for single men. and 16s an acre for married men, but up to the present good money could not lie made at this job as all the workers had been put into one of two gangs. The manuka ground has now been surveyed and henceforth this work will also be let to small parties The men are housed in wooden huts and are. comfortable. A large cookhouse and a dining room have been provided

Some ol the best workers have been engaged by the I.ands Department and kr t week a big gang was engaged in planting grass seed on 500 acres of the Kerepeehi Block, which was traversed by 'ire last summer.