UNEMPLOYMENT DISTRESS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20224, 30 April 1931, Page 11

UNEMPLOYMENT DISTRESS.

NO PROVISION FOR RELIEF. HOSPITAL BOARD'S DECISION. Since the New Zealand Parliament has passed an Act making "a. public levy to provide a subsidy for the employment or sustenance of un-employed-men,, the North Canterbury Hospital Board, in framing its estimates, has decided not to make provision for the relief of these men and their families. During the last year the Board had overspent by more than £BOOO its estimate for outdoor relief, and the provision for that relief to-day represents a most lorious tax on its resources. If the Government has to fall, back on Hospital Boards to cope with the unemployment position, the Board asks if it would not Ije better for the Unemployment Board to hand over the funds available to Hospital Boards for distribution 1 to the best advantage. The question was brought up by the chairman of the Board (Mr H. J. Otley), in the annual statement, which he ' made to the Board yesterday. "The outstanding feature during the year," said Mr Otley, "was the enormous tax on the Board's resources in the demand for relief owing to the very serious deficiency of employment for workers of all grades, with the re. suit that the Board's estimate of expenditure in that "branch of work has been exceeded by nearly £BOOO. Growth of Belief Demand. "It is hoped that with the establishment of the Unemployment Board with the provision of funds raised for the purpose of meeting this difficulty, the serious strain on the Board will now cease, although it is not expected, that we shall come back to anything

like the low rate of expenditure that occurred prior to 1927, after, which date | unemployment began-'to make itself felt in our midst. _: "The following table shows the increase in the expenditure for outdoor relief:— ' ■ ■■■ ■ Persons. Expend!- Vote, ture. £ . £. 1924-25 . .. 1308 -7,043 7;000 1925-26 .. 1407 7,465 7,000. 1926-27 .. 1575 . 7,621 7,500 1927:28, ... 2037 9,978 8,500 1928-29 .. 2944 14,202 10*000 1929-30 ;. 2718 16,677 13,000 1930-31 ..-4997 24,874 16,500 "In this year, provision : has • been made for an amount that should cover the ordinary demands of those persons who are afflicted either by widowhood sickness, age, or infirmity, but it does not take into account any serious demands owing to lack of employmen . Time can only tell what will happen during the year. Break-down of, No. 5 Scheme. The Benevolent Committee's report, which was adopted, stated: "Owing to the breakdown of relief wo'rk, which has of late been put in hand by the Unemployment .Board, this Board'for two weeks has had to undertake the burden of the sustenance o the men out of employment. With tne limited funds on hand and the demai.ds by the Government foi the stnct3dt economy on the part of Boards, a severe, strain such as this cannot be expected to be met out of ordinary levy and subsidy. It is foreshadowed that the Unemployment Board proposes to employ only a limited number of men to work for three weeks out of every four weeks, which means that the men in the fourth week must necessarily make application to the charitable f'nds. The committee recommended the Board to agree to the following resolution:— - . "That the Board, in framing estimates for the, ensuing year, has .decided not, to make provision for the relief of unemployed men and their families seeing that. Parliament has passed an Act making levy on all adult males, and has promised subsidy thereon. It has further set up a Board for the purpose of allocating such funds to provide sustenance or employment for the unemployed men in the Dominion." Impossible to Meet Situation. The committee suggested that_ should the Board pass this .resolution, a copy of such should i>o .forwarded to

the Minister for Ijlealth and all other Hospital Boards. "The committee is of opinion/' continued the report, "that if the Unemployment Board, - in conjunction with the Government, cannot cope with the unemployment question and has to make resource to Hospital Boards_on frequent occasions, it is quite impossible for Boards to frame estimates to meet the situation; that being so, would it not be better for the Unemployment Board and the Government to hand /over the- funds available to Hospital Boards to distribute to the best advantage? , "In accordance with instructions, the. secretary has already sent a letter to this effect, to other Hospital Boards embodying the proposed resolution. "Estimates for the year have been under consideration and recommendations made to the Finance Committee that such estimates do not embody any amount with a view to the relief of unemployment. Should this relief be cast upon the Board it will be essential for the Government to come to the aid with a special grant." The: secretary (Mr W. S. Wharton) reported that a resolution almost exactly similar had been forwarded by the Wangariui Hospital Board. NOMINATION FOR BOARD. At a meeting of the Canterbury Carpenters' and Joiners' Union, held in the Trades Hall last evening, the secretary of the Union, Mr P. E. -Pearl, was nominated to fill the vacancy on . the Unemployment Board, caused by the retirement of Mr W. Bromley, of Wellington