THE UNEMPLOYED.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 246, 18 October 1927, Page 5

THE UNEMPLOYED.

TIDE OF DISTRESS.

LARGE NUMBER OUT OF WORK

MOnr IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE

NECESSARY.

"It appears to my committee that more immediate assistance is necessary to cope -with the tide of distress which still engulfs the city," writes the secretary of the Auckland Unemployment Association (Mr. C. G. Lindsay). * The Mayor's committee has been operating for several weeks, and the wages bill for the men they employ cannot exceed £4.30 a week. Only one in every twelve of the unemployed is engaged on the various relief works instituted by the council and citizens' committee, and over 1500 men and their dependants are left to want. At the present rate of employment, it will be over three months before the men dismissed on Friday last will receive a Becond term of employment.

"It is economically unsound for the city to expect, the parks and reserves to be improved at relief rates on the same basis as if the work was being carried out by the council's staff. Therefore, instead of allotting a sum to complete each work, the citizens' committee should, in our opinion, spread their money over many different jobs at once, and, if necessary, owing to lack of funds, only carry forward the work to such a stage that the capital expended is not lost. By this means, more men would be employed at one time, and, when opportune, the council could complete each work in the usual way out of the revenue, or, if unemployment is acute again next winter, further relief could then be speedily given as work would be ready immediately funds were subscribed. This would give an* impetus to the subscriptions, as the feeling is held by many that the present distress is merely being used as a means of getting work completed at the expense of the men and the public.

"A further matter which requires attention is the rate of payment of single men with dependants. These men rank as married men in receiving preference for the work, but are paid at the single men's rate of 9/ a day. As many of these men carry responsibilities greater than the average married man, we contend that they should be placed on the same footing for wages."