UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 286, 14 September 1933, Page 6

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

NO INCREASE POSSIBLE. THE ASHBURTON ALLOCATIONS. FEWER MEN ON REGISTER. The Ashburton Local Unemployment Committee met this afternoon, the Mayor (Mr W. H. Woods) occupying the chair. The Commissioner of Unemployment wrote stating that there was no possibility of increasing the present allocation, either to the country districts or,to the nor was it possible to bring the country allocations to within limits nearer to the city allocations. Regarding the issue of rations, it was stated that those who received them in cities were comparatively few and were individuals whose cases the certifying officer had satisfied himself were especially necessitous on account of culiar circumstances. It was regretable that the extension of rations to places outside the four principal cities was hot practicable. Mr G. Kelly reported that the Ashburton County Council's camps were full and the additional men had enrolled voluntarily. It was possible there might be one or two vacancies yet, but now that the men had come forward the work Avas progressing satisfactorily. Members expresed their pleasure that the men had come forward in this manner. ,

The secretary (Mr W. Patterson) reported that the number of men on the register was as follows:—A class 51, B class 280, C class 153—a total of 484, compared with 487 last week. Tho amount required to give the full complement of work was £953 8s and the allocation £666. To give v l, 2-J and 31 days, £636 17s 6d would be absorbed. It was decided to allocate 1, 21 and 3$ days to the three classes of men respectively. The secretarv further reported that there were at present 619 unemployed men in Ashburton. compared with 707 at the same time last year. He submitted figures for the various schemes as follow, with thei figures for last year in parentheses:—Scheme No. 5, 440 (477); Scheme No. 4a, 203 (69); Scheme No. 6c (County Camp Scheme), 33 (0); Scheme No. 10, 77 (27); totals, 619 (707). It was stated that there were eigiit married and 61 single men working on the No. 4a. scheme at present. A further report stated that five men who had refused work under scheme No. 4a and one who had refused employment under the farm camp scheme had been struck off the register. After one case had been investigated, it was decided to give the man work under scheme No. 5, Mr W. Bryant substantial ing the man's reasons for his refusal. Mr H. A. Knight asked what the committee considered was a reasonable weekly wage for casual farm labourers. He knew two married men who had been offered £1 and £1 10s a week respectively without keep and had refused the farm work offered. The chairman said the matter was hardly one for the committee. .Replying to a further question by Mr Knight, the chairman said the committee would not penalise a man for refusing work until both sides of the question had been fully investigated* The committee did not want to be unjust to the men, nor did it desire to be hard on the farmers. He thought that the farmers on the whole were fairly generous and did not want to take advantage of the men, but the wages mentioned were certainly low for married men.

DOMINION REGISTRATIONS A SMALL INCREASE. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, Sept. 13. The smallest increase for some time past is shown in the.monthly returns of the Unemployment Board. From August 5 to September 2, 526 new men registered, while during the previous month, the increase was 3057. The total number of unemployed at September 2 was 78,627. Of .this number 4517 were ineligible for various reasons, leaving 74,110 a charge on the board's funds. It is estimated that a't least 38,500 men arc engaged on work of a definite reproductive and developmental nature in connection with the primary industries. Under No. 5 scheme, excluding those gold prospecting"; 49,299 men are now employed. In subsidised employment on farms, there are 9867. In various camps there are 4370, and in subsidised employment at standard rates of pay by the Public Works Department 2017, most of whom are married men. Those engaged on the building subsidy scheme are 4595, in gold --respecting 3852, and in subsidised employment in various industries 110.