MARRIED MEN AND RELIEF CAMPS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 117, 20 May 1933, Page 8

MARRIED MEN AND RELIEF CAMPS.

In your issue of the 17th, the Minister of Employment makes an appeal for co-opera-tion to induce married men to go into camps this winter. At this juncture, one need not go into the many reasons why sending married men away, is a very dubious scheme. I will content myself by asking is road-nfaking and other backblock work not much better done in summer than in winter. Frequent wet weather, loss of time, and uncomfortable conditions, etc., all make the scheme more costly to men and Department alike. The Minister fears the unemployment fund will bo imperilled unless "this is done. Then w]jy not place hundreds of men in work on renovating our public buildings, such as post offices, railway buildings, and many others? Many thousands of pounds worth of public property is rapidly deteriorating and needs immediate attention, to save a great loss to tha taxpayers. If r t'hi? were done married men could earn and spend, in the centres, and help to •keep many hundreds of others in employment, who will surely be thrown out of work by sending all into the country. Remembering that thousands of pounds are being taken from the unemployed and boys and girls by taxation to build up a fund which enables the Government to spend on the country districts some £12.000,000 this year alone, one is entitled to expect more attention to assisting town and suburban. interests, and to keep married men where they should he, at borne with tlicir wives and families. A. S. RICHARDS.