CHRISTMAS WORK.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20088, 18 November 1930, Page 5

CHRISTMAS WORK.

HELP FOR UNEMPLOYED. GRANTS TO RELIEF DEPOTS. It was i cported at yesterday's meet- ; ing of the Finance Committee of the | Citizens' Unemployment Committee that arrangements are in train to provide from a week and a half to two weeks' work for the unemployed before Christ- ] mw. U Financial Position. | Ihe statement of finances showed: In hand on November Ist ... ••og # J Subscriptions receiver] 4 Payments ' , Commitments iin < i . •. '»,< I jj the subscription received. £56 18s was from the Domains Board for Kicearton avenue improvements. | lac commitments were: Improvements to Kicearton r, f ;lve " ue .67 r G Returned «o!diers' AscociaI t ' on dor the same work) 50 0 0 | Coal account . . ] jC) () I .New Zealand Railway a . 0 0 7 J Ihe Kailwav Department wrote that I had been decided to make a rebate lof one half the charges on goods conI signed to the committee. jj Money tor Christinas. Cr. licanland, referring to the amount available, asked if the committee was agreeable to it being added U> the amount to bo provided for Christmas work. They wero reckoning upon getting about £Soo—£soo from the quarry account, and other sums were to he made available. He was trying to arrange that this work should start on December Ist, so that each man would get, either a week and a half or two weeks' work before Christmas. With subsidies close on £ 1800 would be spent,. On the motion of Mr Goss it was decided to vote £SO. Riccajrton Avenue Improvement. j It was decided to reply to the Town Clerk (Mr -J. f?. Neville) that Mr F. Langbein, District Engineer, Public Works Department, had recommended the work on Kicearton avenue as suifc- | able for the unemployed, but it had not yet received the approval of headquarters, but he fully anticipated that it would. Cr. Beanland said that the arrangement was that the Department would pay a subsidy, cither of £ for & or £2 for £l. For the work (exclusive of subsidies) £.256 18s had been available and £.139 10s 6d had been spent, leaving £ll7 7s 6d now available. This amount would keep things going lor a fortnight. Mr Harper, replying to Cr. Beanland, said that only returned soldiers were being employed, and they were making a good job of it. The chairman asked if tfiey should make application to the Department straight away. ' Cr. Beanlnnd said that the usual procedure was for the subsidy to be paid when the work was completed, but in the present instance he thought that they should apply for il. Application is to be made accordingly. s Applicants for Relief. Cr. Fraer, reporting on the Central Relief Depot, said that CO cases—the largest number yet —had been dealt with since the previous meeting a fortnight ago. There was no diminution of the number of applicants and though she was proposing to close the depot down on December Ist, it seemed likely that a certain number of cases would have to be carried on. The chairman said that after next meeting of the City Council there would be £IOO for the depot. Cr. Beanland paid that a similar amount would be available for the other depots. Reference was made by Mr Crampton to the case of •a young girl, an expert typist and stenographer, v:ho had excellent credentials, but who had been unable to get a position, and whose brother was unemployed. She had left England to come to her brother when her mother died. Cr. Fraer said that she knew of the case, and hoped that anyone that could employ the girl would apply to her. Unemployment Act. Mr Crampton referred to the ActingPrime Minister's statement that under the Unemployment Act he would have some funds wherewith to assibt farmera, and suggested that the committee should approach the Acting-Prime Minister for a grant to the committee. The chairman remarked that he was informed that no funds would be available till the Board was set up under the Act. Mr Goss thought that it would bo peculiar if the Board allocated its funds on application. Cr. Beanland did not think that Relief Committees would be recognised in the matter, and said that the money would be allocated to local bodies. Mr Crampton said that if they made application it would be through a local body. Mr TJcrovd questioned whether rtny money would be allocated unless a definite scheme were submitted. It was resolved: "That the City Council be recommended to deviso a programme of work to enable the unemployment scheme to be taken advantage of a.i soon as possible.'' Other Matters. Cr. Fraer reported that v;ork had been found for Mr W. H. Bayard, whose case was before the committee at its previous meeting. Cr. Beanland said that 'the arrangement was that the Domains Board found one half of Mr Bayard's wages and the committee the other half. Cr. Fraer reported the receipt of potatoes from Miss Murray, one tori from the Rev. H. T. Yorke; clothing from the Technical College, Mrs Thomas, and from several friends; meat from friends; a cot from Mrs Thomas; bread from Stacey and Ilawker; milk, dripping, and soap from friends. The meeting was attended by Crs. E. H. Andrews (chairman), Annie 1. Fraer, J. W. Beanland, Messrs George Harper, Wm. Goss, J. S. Barnett, li. J. Ecroyd, J. F. Eatnes, W. ,T. Crampton. R. T. Bailey, and P. R. Cli wie (hon. secretary). LEWIS PASS ROAD. CESSATION OF WORK. After discussion of tho cessation or work on the Lewis Pass highway, the Finance Committee of the Citizens' Unemployment committee at its meeting yesterday decided to make representations to the Government on the subject. Mr P. R. Climie. hen. secretary to tno committee, said that it was a fact j that work waa about to cease on the

Glynn Wye yortion of tho road as well os on the other side of the Pass: approximately there were 100 men employed on the Glynn Wye road, and about 40 on the other side. The position seemed strange seeing that £17.000 was on the Estimates for tho work. He jjid not know whether it h:id anything to do with tho unemployment scheme, but it was an expensive move as it cost money to stop works. A protest, was going forward to the Minister. Apart from tho value of the road, tho fact of 130 men being thrown on the labour market at present was a serious thing. Cr. J. \V. Beanland said that the Government's idea might be that tho men could find work in tho country, and could return to Lewis Pass work later. They should endeavour to out the reason for the Government's action. Cr. Annio I. truer remarked that it was a ridiculous idea that the men engaged on tbo road works would be of any us© as shearers. They were not shearers, and could not be employed at anything else than road works. Mr George Harper concurred with these views; and another member or tho committee remarked that tho men could not catch a sheep, let alone shear one. On the motion of tho chairman (Cv. E. H. Andrews) it was resolved "That the serious position that, will b® created by the cessation of work on the Lewis Pass road be brought under the notice of the Government-, this committee finds no cessation in the demand for relief and sees little prospect of providing for the o resent unemp'oyed. apart from adding to the number of such dismissals: the committee" urges the Government to reconsider the position, and to continue tho work at least until the Unemployment Board functions."