FULL TIME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 198, 22 August 1935, Page 16

FULL TIME.

AND STANDARD RATES.

ON BACKBLOCK ROAD WORK.

COOK COUNTY PROPOSAL. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) GISBORNE, this day. The request that men on backblock road work should be paid standard rates for full time is being made to the Unemployment Board by the Cook County Council as the result of a report from its engineer, Mr. K. F. Jones.

The report stated that the committee Lad an interview with the deputy-chair-man, Mr. Bromley, with a view to obtaining a more satisfactory working scheme in view of the council's proposal to abolish all relief works under its control. It was agreed that the council should submit a programme of suitable works for the approval of the Unemployment Board and that relief labour should be available for any work in addition to that already provided for in the estimates.

Tie merits of proposed work on the aerodrome were fully discussed and it was suggested that the council should give the fullest support to the carrying out of this work by relief labour.

Considerable discussion to'ok 'place on the question of concentrating relief labour on backblock roads and the proposal to introduce camps was thoroughly investigated, but no satisfactory arrangements could be made. It was pointed out that the subsidy proposed did not work out as generously as that provided by the Public Works Department, and involved considerably more organisation.

It was suggested that a large number of relief workers might be absorbed on construction works if a suitable subsidy additional to that received from other sources was provided by the Unemployment Board.

Discussing the report, Mr. M. T. B. Hall said the conditions Mr. Bromley submitted made it impossible for the council to make use of men in backblock camps. The offer might be of some value if the board would pay the whole of the wages.

The engineer remarked that the offer was on the same basis as that made to cities, -where local authorities had very short distances to transport men.

On the motion of Mr. Hall it was decided to write to the Unemployment Board stating that if the board wished the council to avail itself of its offer of men for back block roads it would have to provide the whole of the wages at full-time standard rates.