DISMISSED WORKERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 57, 8 March 1932, Page 10

DISMISSED WORKERS.

INFLUX AT ROTORUA.

HARDSHIPS OF FAMILIES. MANY DIFFICULTIES AHEAD. (From Our Own Correspondent.) ROTORUA, Monday. Something approaching consternation was felt in town at the week-end when a large number of men dismissed from district public works began to drift into town. Under the new Government economy scheme approximately 160 men from the Public Works and Agricultural Departments were paid off on Friday, and this number will be swelled as cooperative contracts are completed. Discontent and anxiety are rife among the discharged men, especially those who have wives and families. The great majority of the dismissals have been made at Galatea, where a large number of men were employed upon road work, fencing, scrub cutting and clearing. It will be recalled that many of these workmen were brought over from Gisbornc when the railway operations ceased there. Transport from the camps is one of the big difficulties which has to be faced. The men say that an appeal was made to the Minister of L'ublic Works to provide transport into Rotorua, but he declined to make provision. Nowhere To Go. It is unpleasant to contemplate the future of some of the families in the camps. They have all their earthly belongings there, but nowhere to take them; and some have not the price of transport even if they could obtain another home. The outlook is bad enough for single men, but in some instances the position of families is desperate. It is understood that . families will bo allowed to retain their camps for a few days, but in other cases tents are to be dismantled. Outlook For Rotorua. Rotorua will be seriously affected in two ways by these wholesale dismissals. In the first place land development, road and bridge construction and afforestation have been responsible for the circulation of large sums of money in this district. In actual development Rotorua district has been well behind other parts of the Dominion, but during reccnt years the necessity for a move forward has resulted in the employment of much casual labour with the consequent reflection upon the commercial lite of the town. It can, thorefore, bo seen that the sudden cessation of work by two important Departments cannot fail to affect business. Thoro is also the fear that the afforestation companies may curtail operations, and follow the lead of the Government and reduce wages. In any case business must suffer a loss of many thousands monthly. Registering as Unemployed. Another aspect of the situation is tho position of the local unemployment committee. Fresh registrations of unemployed men are pouring in, and it will be impossible to find work for anything like tho number offering. At present there are approximately 254 men employed by the committee, and the allocation for this week is in the region of £430. Obviously there is not going to be enough money to go round, and if new registrations are certified as correct there will have to be a readjustment of rates. In any case it seems plain that relief workers must bo prepared for'roductions, but the committee can bo relied upon to pay out whatever is possible. It will not be wise, however, for newly enrolled m<m to take it as certain that relief wili be given them at the end of the ordinary lapse of a fortnight. It is possible they may have to stand down for three months.