UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 66, 19 March 1931, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE

AUCKLAND REQUEST REFUSED T SHOULD LOCAL BODIES. PAY?-; ' (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) t WELLINGTON, Wednesday. 1 "I am astonished to learn that/ the 5 Auckland Unemployment Committee ' cannot properly function unless it !6 ' granted an allowance for expenses,: as ; well as the salary of a secretary," said the Hon. S. G. Smith, Minister of Labour, in the House to-day, in reply to i a question by Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour, Auckland Central). . The Minister said. that if the committee in Auckland was not functioning, then someone else there must be carryj ing out good work, since, during the present week, under No. 5 scheme, 1474 men were working for two days, li>2l men for three days, and 1528 men-for four days —a total of 4623. The estimated wages expenditure on those men for the week was £11,145. "That shows," added the Minister, "that someone in Auckland is functioning." He said that 159 local unemployment committees had been formed and were operating under existing rules. If each were allotted an annual grant of,, say, £50 expenses, and a salary of £3 a week for each secretary, it would'involve an expenditure of more than £32,000 out of the Unemployment Fund. Mr. Parry: That k absurd. The Minister: It is a matter of fact. In no other city except Auckland comes the demand for a paid secretary, and there they appear to be concentrating on it. In every other centre, the expenses of any secretarial duties are being met by the local bodies. Mr. Parry: There are more unemployed in Auckland. The Minister suggested that -the Auckland local bodies be asked to contribute pro rata towards the expenses. As no similar request had been received from oilk* parts, the board did not feel, justified h, acceding to the application Iroin Auckland. 1