£25,000 OFFER.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19622, 18 May 1929, Page 18

£25,000 OFFER.

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF. CITY COUNCIL ACCEPTS. Although the debate appeared to indicate that the question would be decided by a division, the City Council, at its special meeting yesterday afternoon, finally decided unanimously to accept the offer made by Sir Joseph Ward (Prime Minister), on behalf of the Government, to grant £25,000 for the relief of unemployment, provided the City raiseß a like sum. Those present were: The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer), Cra. I). G. bullivan, M.l\, E. It. McC'ombs, E. Parlane, F. li. Cooke, T. H. Buttertield, P. W. Sharpe, E. A. Armstrong, H. T. J. Thacker, J. A. Flesher, J. W. Beanland, M. E. Lyons, J. Parlane, W. H. Williamson, E. H. Andrews, and A. W. Bcaven. The Mayor accorded a welcome to Mr J. M. Baddeley, M.P., Deputy-leader of the N.S.W. Parliamentary Labour Party, Mrs Baddeley, Mr 11. Knight, M.P., and representatives of other local bodies present. Returning thanks, Mr Baddeley said he was greatly impressed with the City. The Mayor said that unemployment was very acute and widespread, and some of them thought something should be done at once for its relief. A postponement to the ordinary meeting of the Council was not advisable. One of the principal objects of the meeting was to consider the Government's offer

£25,000. The Paparua County Council had replied to the invitation to be represented, that no good object would be served, and stating that it was at present carrying out heavy roadworks which had absorbed many workmen beyond the local unemployed. Cr. Sullivan moved that the Council accept the offer made by the Government. The question'that would immediately present itself was as to how the City Council's subsidy of £25,000 could bo found. Perhaps it would be unwise for them to attempt to say how the whole of-it was to be raised. The amount to be obtained from the Government would be conditioned on the amount the Council itself raised. The Council might pursue the same policy as it had followed in the past two years. Instead of raising a loan they should call for public subscriptions, the Council to subsidise this amount up to a given sum. The position in regard to the Government 'a subsidy—whether it was on labour only or not —was not very clear just now. It was clear,, however, that the money must not be used for maintenance, but the Minister for Public Works did not seem clear when a deputation waited on him os to whether material was to be included in the subsidy. The amount provided by the public, together with the sum granted by the Council, would then earn a £ for £ subsidy from the. Government. If the whole amount was not. raised at once, the Council could consider other measures at a later date. That day 554 men wore out of work, as compared i with 355 on the same date last year. , Of the total 468 were fit for heavy work, and 316 had dependents. The need of these people was an urgent one. Question of Conditions. Cr. McCombs seconded the motion. She was sorry that the question of con-, ditions had not been decided. It was a very important factor. She would . like to know whether it was imperative for the Council to accept the wrhole £25 000 at once. Unless conditions were different, the offer did not. vary greatly from those in past years. The Council should never settle down to the idea that the responsibility for dealing with unemployment should be placed on the local bodies. It was a national question, and already the problem was exceedingly pressing. A repetition of last year 'a experience was not wanted. Eleven hundred families had been dependent on the relief depots, and 1100 able-bodied men had obtained their sustenance there. Any suggestion of charity should be avoided by the Government.. The Mayor said the only conditions j laid down by Sir Joseph Ward were that the money must not be expended on ( maintenance work, and any undertaking must have the approval of a repreßentative of the Government. Exactly the same conditions would be required as last year. The amount spent in wages must bo at least 60 per cent, of the j total. Although this was not specifically stated, there was no doubt that this was in the mind of the Prime Minister. It »vas not the idea of the Government to offer £IO,OOO or £15,000. The Council conld either ; accept or reject the offer, which was similar to those made to Wellington and Dunedin. If the whole amount was not accepted, he feit sure the money would be offered.to other, places. Dunedin had decided to take the whole £25,000, and Wellington had agreed to take £20,000, to be added to a small amount it was raising locally. Sir Joseph Ward "had stated plainly, that the offer of £35,000 to each of the four centres was intended to be the Government's contribution to the solution of the problem in these districts. The Council < should accept the grant without qualification, otherwise it might lose the opportunity of getting any. Cr. Andrews said the action of Wellington suggested that it was not compulsory to take the whole £25,000. "All of us are anxious to relieve unemployment," he said, "but we should know something of the conditions before we commit ourselves." If the conditions were the very same as last year, the Council might find itself in difficulties. It might not be necessary to spend the whole of the £50,000 in the four or five months of winter. The class of labour which they must relieve would Hot give full value, and they wanted to know what return the Council was going to receive for its money. The problem was not so desperately urgent, but some work should be put in hand at once. None of them wanted to buy a pig in a poke. Cr. Cooke said he was in favour of accepting the £25,000 as quickly as they could provide the money needed for subsidy. A lot of the unemployed had had perhaps a couple of meals that week, and it was a matter of desperate urgency to them. Those «ho said last November they were in favour of. getting rid of unemployment quickly were scarcely in earnest. It was easy to get rid of it entirely by an expansion of currency. If the money which, was in the banks earning no interest was used, work could be provided.. An Inadequate Amount. Cr. Sharp® said the proposals of the City Engineer would bring about the employment of less than half of the men now out of work. However, it seemed that the Council could not do much more, but it should move immediately and go as far as possible. Cr. Armstrong said he was one of those who had been practically unemployed for the past twelve months. He was not afraid of work, but he hall not been able to get regular employment for two years. The men who were going down to Lyttelton daily with him were real men. If some of the men were a little feeble through ill-nourishment, the others would carry '4mm ~ Ml" Ihflift

the money could sot be used lor reproductive work on a Municipal coalvard or timber-yard- Men should be given an interest in their -work, and not constantly have the fear over them of a further spell of. unemployment. Thw Government was not trying to solve the problem. Cr. Flesher said a statement of the conditions of the grant from the Prime Minister was needed. It was like buying a pig in a .poke. There was really only one person in the Ministry who could settle all these problems, and that "vvas the Frime Minister. A knowledge that they were going to get value for money spent would appeal most to those who were going to contribute. The City Engineer should draw up a. fair scale of payments. In tho past two years there had been a tremendous lot of waste. The £25,000 loan was going to cost the City £30,000, and Christchurch had not received 10 per cent, of value for it. The Mayor: Rubbish! Cr. Flesher: It is not rubbish; I know what I am talking about. Cr. Thacker said unemployment was an acute disease. He would ask Cr. Flesher if he had acute appendicitis if he would put off his operation and write to Sir Joseph Ward, and back and fill for two weeks. When an engine was starving for petrol it could not be expected to work, neither could these unfortunate people. What was needed was to put the foot on the accelerator and get on with the provision of relief. Cr. E. Parlane said it was a dreadful thing to say that the problem was not urgent. If work was not provided at once, men would be forced to accept charity for the first time in their lives. It wrs the duty of the foremen to see tiiat the men gave fair value. The wages which would be paid were those decided by the Arbitration Court, and were meant to be a minimum.

Cr. Lyons said he did not think that Sir Joseph Ward would back and fill for a fortnight. Cr. Thacker said Sir Joseph Ward did not back aud fill, and he had not made the statement. Cr. Lyons: I'll leave it to the Council. He said that the matter should have been left over to the first meeting of the Finance Committee on Tuesday, when the bones of a scheme could be decided upon. It was remarkable how some people had only just realised that unemployment was an acute disease. It was absurd to suggest that the undue haste proposed was necessary. He was against capitalising the City's troubles in the way suggested. Not to be Settled In a Bay. Unemployment was not going to bo settled in a day, and he agreed with Mr J. 11. Thomas, who said that the man making such a statement was either a fool or a knave. The causes were deep-seated and the problem was caused by over-population of the cities. He was not suggesting that any man should starve, and no man would be allowed to do so in the Dominion. The question should be considered by the Finance Committee. \ "Let us have a good, sound, comprehensive scheme, and let us have the full facts," he said. Cr. Beanland said he agreed unemployment was a national problem, and lie was disappointed with the failure of the present Government in the matter. It would be putting a heavy drain on the City to attempt to raise £25,000. If this was going to be done every year, where would they got to? It had to end somewhere. Cr. Sullivan was optimistic in regard to the money they would get from the public, but the amount was getting less every year. People should not go on giving. Money had unfortunately hsd to be Tvnsted in the relief of unemployment. Perhaps the Council should start 50 men next week. He believed the' question could have been handled by the Finance Committee.. Cr. Beaven said Chri.stchurch had intensified the evil last year , by paying the highest Arbitration Court wages. The men should remain in the country, whence they came. It was unfair for the towns - to be asked to support all of the unemployed. The £l-5,000 was not being thrown -at them, as* the City itself had to raise the same amount. Many of the ratepayers who would be asked to contribute received a great deal less than the unemployed did last year. "Our sons and our grandsons will curse us for the boulevard, on which it is proposed to spend some of the money," said Cr. Beaven. "It will be a constant expense to the City. We should spend money on something reproductive." Cr. Williamson said the Government s conditions should be ascertained before the offer was accepted. Before a man qualified for relief, he should be in the City for six months. He suggested that the roading scheme should be expedited by the letting of several contracts. Cr. J. Parlane said he believed the £50,000 would be largely frittered away. He considered the boulevard an absurd scheme. The ratepayers mast have value for their, money. The Council was practically advertising for unemployed by offering them higher wages than they could obtain in the country. Before the Council accepted the £25,000 he felt they should know exactly-what genuine unemployment there was ui Christchurch. He was in favour of relieving it when it was genuine by necessary worJiß, but he was against cadgCr. Andrews denied that *he had said there was no urgency in the situation. Cr. Cooke: I have your exact words. Cr. Andrews said Cr. Cooke had taken good care - not: to quote his full statement. Cr. Sullivan said he was a little disappointed with the discussion. In the last two years the bulk of the money contributed in Christchurch for the relief of unemployment had been given by the trade unions. Other people also had been generous with their donations. It was not a Party question. In other cities Couneils were going straight out for a loan. He ddi not know that it would be possible to meet the views of those on the opposite side of the table, and he appealed to them not to make it a Party question. "I find it almost impossible to express myself when I think o* the cases that are presented to me," he said. Many people would not take charity, preferring destitution. The question was urgent to the last degree. Value for Money Spent. He supposed that ultimately it would be said that the City had not received 5 per cent, value of the money it had spent in relief. Cr. Sullivan advised Cr. J. Parlane to discuss the problem with the Labour Department, which, when it communicated with practically every farmer in' Canterbury asking if they could provide relief work, received one favourable reply. All the conditions of the grant were known except one — whether they would receive a subsidy on material. It Might be necessary to raise a small loan at the end of the winter. - " The Mayor said if they carried the motion, it was not final. They might find they would have to parley over conditions. \ ... Cr. Lvons: Oh, we can agree to that. The motion was carried unanimously. Tie Suburbs. Mr H. S. S. Kyle, MJ., who was invited to speak, suggested that something should be done with Biccarton avenue. It should be improved, as in places it was in a dangerous condition. Cr. Sullivan: Will Eiecarton assist! Mr Kyle: It is being considered by the Biccarton Council at a special meeting on Monday night. Mr J. H. Shaw, Mayor of New Brighton, said his Council was doing all it

requisition loan being raised in the southern portion of the borough. He suggested that the City Council should seriously consider the urgency of improving Page's road. (Laughter.) The work was being held up through the City Council's" demands in regard to the channels.

Cr, T. O. Newnliam (Waimairi County Council) said Jio could not commit his Council He would bring up the matter at its next meeting.

Cr. J. L. Danks (Heatlicote County Council) said his Council was doing something in unemployment relief. It had 44 men on Dyer's Pass road and 83 casual labourers employed, in addition to its permanent staff. Unemployment was a national problem, and should be so treated. If his Council could obtain a subsidy from the Government, he thought it would place new works in hand.

Mr R. T. Bailey, representing the Labour Department, said that his Department took every care to ensure that newcomers did not receive relief work. He agreed with Cr. Sullivan's statement in regard to the Department 's endeavour to find work in the country. It was perfectly true. If some of the Councillors sat with him for a few lioursy they would be conv J nced of tlie urgency of the problem. The Mayor said there were single m«n prepared to go out in the country and take gorse grubbing or ditching on contract or day wages, and they would not haggle about' the conditions. He suggested an adjournment till 7.30 p.m. to discuss a schedule of work. Committee Set Up. Cr. Lyons suggested giving the Works Committee some discretionary power, lie moved that it be empowered to expend £SOOO. Contentious work should be postponed meanwhile. Cr. Sharpe seconded the motion. Cr. Sullivan suggested that the £SOOO should be paid into the Unemployment Fund. Cr. Flesher: I hope not a penny of that is going to be spent on the boulevard. The Mayor: That is understood. Cr. Cooke announced that a special meeting of the Works Committee would be held this morning. A committee was set up to make an appeal to the public for subscriptions.

SCHEDULE OF WORKS.

At short notice, Mr A. R. Galbraith (City Engineer) prepared a schedule of works lor the expenditure of tho £50,000 which the City Council will now be able to utilise for Unemployment relief, but it was not considered at yesterday's special meeting. Lt probably indicates the order in which the various works will be undertaken. The report is as follows:

The total value of the works enumerated in the schedules attached hereto is £.>1,64?, ot which amount it is estimated that £28,0/3 will be paid in wages. l'h is payment will be for actual labour on woikc, as well as Learn hue and quarry labour. It should bo possible with these works to carry 200 men for about 26 weeks. It must be borne in mind that tho schedule embraces 88 separate estimates, and has been prepared at three days' notice, so that there is a possibility that in some cases it will Iks necessary to amend or alter the particular work specified. If all these works are authorised, arrangements will have to be made for: (1) Extra rollers (these can probably be hired from the Tramway Board and the British Pavements, Ltd.); also tho tentative works estimates which have uot as yet been submitted to committee contain an item covering purchase of new road roller.

(2) Team and truck hire. These can be obtained from various sources. = • .

(3) Extra metal. It is jwwsiWe 4hat the quarry will not be" able' to keep up to ' the demand, in which ease metal should, be available from' Glenmore ahd Garland's, and crushed shingle screenings from Smart's. t Boulevard.—There is approximately. £BSOO shown for completion of 'works on various sections of the boulevard, but it should be noted that in some cases, although • negotiations have been started, nothing final has.been settled with the owners, and it is possible that £ISOO will be. required for purchase of land, which sum cannot be included in this schedule. Should the Council not be prepared to purchase these lands, the formation items will have to be deleted from the schedule. Tlie moving back of six houses is also involved, but as this is practically all labour costs, it is included in the schedule, but will have to be done by contract. Falsgrave street —Concrete full width, railway-Mow bray street and concrete 20ft Mowbray street-Sliake-speare road, estAnate £2/45, 'JA men, ]3 weeks. W 7 altham road—Moorhouse avenueWordsworth street, full width con-

Crete, estimate £4125, 24 men, 19

weeks. Carlton Mill road—River deviation, estimate £958, 24 men, 6 weeks. Malvern street —Formation and metal

Court-enay street-Thames street, estimate £1720, 24 men, 11 weeks. Austin street—Widening, estimate £620, 24 men, 3 weeks. Cashel street—Replacing channel and lowering footpath, estimate £375, 24 men, 2 weeks. Lyttelton street —Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £1758, 24 men, 8$ weeks. Rose street—Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £lll6, 24 men, 51

weeks. Frankleigh street—Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £766, 24 men,

weeks. Howard street—Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £343, 24 men, 2 ■weeks. Simeon street—Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £865, 24 men 4\ weeks. Garland street—Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £576, 24 men, 2j weeks. Princes street—Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £760, 24 men, 3$ weeks. Eastern terrace—Metal, kerb, and channel Birdwood avenue-Tennyson street, estimate £I9BO. 24 men, 12 weeks. Western terrace—Birdwood-Riverview, metal, kerb, and channel, estimate £SOO, 24 men, 3 weeks. Western terrace—Riverview-Colombo, metal, estimate £352, 24 men 2j weeks. Innes road—Papanui road-Rutland street, grade and seal, estimate £4BO, 24 men, "2\ weeks; corner Rutland street, round, estimate £2O; widen along football ground, estimate £SO, 24 men, half week; form and metal along reserve estimate £4O. ' Grant's road—Scarify and metaf estimate £630, 24 men, 4 weeks. Proctor street—Scarify and metal, estimate £324, 24 men, 2 weeks. Mary street—Scarify and metal, estir»i* I r ? a^o 24 men . 2 weeks. iihgh a road—Scarify, metal, and seal, estimate £ll2O. 24 men. 5\ weeks. Bank s avenue, North Parade-Cooper's road—Seal, estimate £lbv>, 24 men, half week. Carnarvon street—Metal and seal estimate £2SS, 24 men, 1J weeks Bordeslev street—Metal and seal 20ft estimate £685 . 24 men, 3$ weeks! Tuam street—Barbadoes-Ollivier's road —Scarify, metal and seal, estimate £1725. 24 men, 8$ weeks. St. Asaph street, Barbadoes streetNursery road—Scarify, metal, and seal, estimate £llOO, 24 men, 5J weeks. York street—Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft. estimate £342, 24 men, li

Scott's comer, Opawa and Ford roadsRounding corner, estimate £l2O, 24 men, 1 week. Ford road—Scarify, metal and seal, estimate £468. 24 men, 2} weeks. Eastern terrace, Tennyson street-Wil-son's road—Grade and seal, estimate £l5O, 24 men, 2 weeks. Fifield terrace, Beckford and Ford roa ds—Widen. raise road, and metal, estimate £240, 24 men, 1£ weeks. Wilson's road . South —Seal, estimate £440, 24 meu, 1$ weeks. Selwvn street, railway-South Crescent road —Scarify, metal, and real 20ft, estimate £7OO. '24 men. 3* weeks. South Crescent road —Widening Selwyn street, Kipling street, estimate £450, 24 men, 2 weeks. Thackeray street —Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £420. 24 men, 2 weeks. Wilson's road—Widening at corner Fifield terrace, kerb, and chaunei, estimate £l5O, 24 men. half week. Charles street—Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £560, 24 men, 2j weeks. McKenzie avenue—Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £BBO, 24 meu, 4} weeks. Richardson street—Scarify, metal, and seal 20ft, estimate £BIO, 24 men, 4 weeks. Richardson terrace—Metal and seal; estimate £790, 24 men, 4 weeks. Somme street—Seal ; estimate £IBO, 24 men, half week. Hawkesbnrv avenue (on bus route) — Regrade, metal, and seal; estimate £l2O, 24 men, hali" week. Brown's road, Hawkesbury avenueInnes road—Seal; estimate £36, a 4 men, 1 week. Brett's road—Seal; estimate £240, 24 men, 1 week. Rutland street—Widen Tnnes road-Mai-Tern street; estimate £55, 24 men, half week. May's road, Papumii-Brett's road— Seal; estimate £l3B , 24 men, half week. Brcugham street, Colombo-Queen streets —Scarify and seal, estimate £'l6oi 24 men, half week: Queen street -Wnlthmn road—Seal. estimate £264, 24 men, 1 week. Waltham road, Langdown-Wordsworth streets—Seal ; estimate £245, 24 men, 1 ivef-1;. Little York' street—Widen and form footpath ; estimate £BO, 24 men, half week. Reeves road—West side. footpath, kerb and channel, estimate £l9O, 24 men, 1 weak; ea<t side, footpath, estimate £SO, 24 men, 1 week. Marshall street—South side at corner Radlev street, widen, estimate £10; north side, widen throujjhnMt, kerb, and channel, estimate £l5O, 24 men. 1 week ; form footpath and cut back, estimate £4B. Sheldon street—Widen south side ; estimate £4O. Cumnor terrace—Channel three chains from corner Marshall street ; estimate £36, 24 uien half week. Harsrood street—Widen 10 chains at corner Ferry road; estimate £2O. Springfield road, Bealey avenue-Derby street —Widen and remove trees; estimate £240, 24 men, 14 weeks. Boulevard Work—Completion Mr Payton's property; estimate £I2OO, 24 men, 7 weeks. Completion on south bank up to Kerr's road ; estimate £2500 , 21 men, 15 weeks. Formation, etc., from Gloucester street eastwards: estimate £llOO, 2-1 men, 7\ we»«ks. Moving back iu o houses on above property ; estimate £360, 24 men. 3 weeks. Formation, etc., eastwards up to Retreat road; estimate £I2OO. 24 men,. Sj weeks. Moving back three houses on above; estimate £540, 21 men, 4J weeks. Completion west of present formation on south bank ; estimate £660, 24 men, 3j weeks. Formation, etc., estimate £2OO. 24 men, 1J weeks. Formation, etc., estimate £6OO, 24 men, 4 weeks. Moving back one house on above; estimate £IBO, 24 men, 1$ weeks. Park road, Railwav-Church squareScarify and seal 20ft; estimate £l5O. 24 men, half week. Church square—North and west sides, scarify and seal ; estimate £BO, 24 men, 1 week. Collins street, Church square-.Jerrold street —Scarify and seal; estimate £225, 24 men. 1 week. Jerrokl street, Lincoln road-Selwvn street —Sea rify and seal 20ft; estimate £670, 24 men, 2£ wee 1 Somerfield street, Colombo-BariTngton streets—Scarify and metal and seal 20ft; estimate £9OO, 24 men, 4§ weeks. Gloucester street, Linwood avenueAVoodham road—Scarify and seal 20ft; estimate £SBO, 24 men, 3 weeks. Worcester street, Linwood avenueWoodham road—Scarify and seal 20ft; estimate £720. 24 meu, 3J weeks. Tancred street, Linwood avenue-Wood-ham toad —Scarify and seal 20ft; estimate £450, 24 men, 2 weeks. . Aldwin's road—Complete to Linwood avenuo from Bass street, scririfv,' metal, and seal; estimate £6lO. 24 men, 3 weeks. Hargood street—Seal; estimate £240, 24 men, 1 week; metal and seal, estimate £IBO, 24 men, 1 week Rugby street, Papanui road-Winches-ter street —Seal; estimate £IBO, 24 men, 1 week. Wilson's road, Ferry road-River road —Scarify, metal, and seal; estimate £llOO, 24 men, o| weeks. Westminster street, Forfar-Rutland streets—Scarify, metal, and. seal; estimate £550, 24 men, 2 weeks. St. Martins road, Burnbrae-Wilson's roa<d—Estimate £560, 24 men, 3 weeks. Bealey avenue, Papanui road-Colombo street—Seal north side; estimate £330, 24 men, 1 week.