RATIONING SCHEME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 281, 27 November 1931, Page 5

RATIONING SCHEME.

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

TIDING OVER CHRISTMAS

LOCAL BODIES' ASSISTANCE.

"The proposals submitted to local bodies for rationing work under No. 5 scheme are to enable all able-bodied men who are eligible for relief to obtain work during December," said Mr. W. Slaughter, officer in charge of the Labour Department in Auckland, this morning. "We have received a wonderful response so far from the local bodies, and there is a every man being able to earn.the maximum amount under the scheme throughout the Christmas month. "At present there are 5400 men in the metropolitan area working under No. 5 scheme, while 1052 names remain on the register for whom work has not been found but who, with the anticipated assistance of the local bodies, will be employed from next week under the rationing proposals. lam sure that all employing authorities will, *once they realise, the object, make every effort to fall in with the proposals, notwithstanding it will mean some little disorganisation of their staffs and additional office work. The latter, however, can be overcome by employing clerical men from the ranks of the unemployed, men who are not capable of manual work." Referring to the Unemployment Board's new proposals to transfer men from local body work under No. 5 scheme to development work on farms, Mr. Slaughter said the Waitemata County Council was taking considerable interest in the question, and some progress" in the desired direction had already been made. Several recommendations had been received from the riding members, approved by the council, and forwarded to the board for confirmation. He anticipated that when the proposals, the main object of which was to increase production, became more widely known many men would be transferred'to farm development work. ... Mr. W. A. Bishop, chairman of the Waitemata County Council, said this morning that the rationing scheme was fair and would help considerably to tide many families over the Christmas season. His council had employed 1600 men when No. 5 scheme was first introduced, including 600 residents and ratepayers of the county. 'The council had' now approximately 800 men employed under the scheme, and details would be worked out with a view to ascertaining the number of extra men that could be placed. He considered it the duty of every local body to help in a national emergency.