LABOUR CAMP.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20343, 16 September 1931, Page 13

LABOUR CAMP.

COMFORTABLE QUARTERS AT WELLINGTON. MEN WELL SATISFIED. (THE PRESS Special Service.] WE LLIXGTON, ■ September 15. Attempts to discredit the new system £ camps for single men failed entirely it the opinion of a representative party visited the camp at Akatarawa. lie visitors included the Hon. S. G. MBtV for Labour, Mr Malcolm fewer, Unemployment Commissioner, Jtr W. Bromley, member of the Unemjjjyaumt Board, Mr "Walter Nash, M.P., jfleen of social service organisations., mi a representative of "The Dojajioiu" All were satisfied that the amp was reasonably comfortable, and complete the rebuttal of unfounded istiei sidß, a dozen of the camperß them•drm signed the following statement It the suggestiou of the "Dominion" gforter: "We say that the working ltd living conditions in the ' labour imp at Akatarawa are satisfactory, if"! have read what the Communists aid about- the camp in the papers/' said tM> of the workers, interviewed in the yteeence of a dozen others, "and «hey tie all lies. They got a bad reception Ehere, and called us 'gcabs' and er things, and we would have nothing to do with them, and told them so. ;I upposo to get'evon told' these lids a the paper*.. "And your quarters are all right!" the reporter. "ta bet they are—come in and have / let. We are all right out here, land ftson say so!" Healthy Conditions. .Be. visitor# then made a thorough 3ietion of the camp, the dining-room, £ouse, tool-bouse, and other dcjutneiitß. The camp consists of two mqi at flume tents, each with a fly, jmi close together, only a few yards fas tie main road through the Akatasn Talley. The spot chosen is where fevtlley opens out picturesquely on 4nr psddocky land, with a good sup- j pB, duping gently down to the river W yards away. The camp site, close to tie road, is about 50ft above the ted of the river, and as the grade is tnsrd tbe river, good natural drain9»Jk provided. >SKh tent was found to be provided Wk an open fireplace, made of corrup&td iron, in which cheerful log fires •W, burning throughout yesterday •fiwnoon. There are two men to each tecouimodated on military strettfwi, having paliasses of straw. There J»4ikbea round each tent, so that the j PN floor is quite dry, being mads softer to the tread by a liberal tfUdwg of dry sawdust. I It had rained nearly every day *** lie 20 men have been in camp, TO**ere asked if any of the tents had Wfttc4 rain. The answer was ki the r Good Pood. Hw cookhouse and mess-room is in an ■itve-roofaied farm building 100 yards from the camp, ou the other side f* null Mream. "It will keep the J*4»t for another ten years,'' said j*. ttok in answer to an enquiry as JMlfc (lability of the structure. The "MS WW seen set out for the evening ®*l Krerything on it was baked on plWai*es. There were cakes, jam Aortbread, and cream puffs, the. of which was unquestionable. Dominion'' representative was sample menus by the cook. This' W: "cold and tasteless" food them on Sunday:— kf«*t—Porridge, bacon and eggs, "'aS butter, tea. » —Soup, hot roast mutton, "•Mi potatoes, mashed swedes, sago custard, and tea. meat and fried potatoes, |jjj»«fcl butter and jam, tarts, shortand cream puffs. ||lb« r j ae waa expressed at- the ie cook stated that s the thing, as he had arranged »lier to hold some of the tck and put it thrbiigh the 8 weekday menus proved good variety of palatable ing hot meats, vegetables, s supplied with fresh milk fsh meat four times a week, ad three times a week. Mr. P., tasted the food a»d of it, and the women visi-' the cooking to be exceland afternoon tea is Swimming Hole. yards from the camp is ( iming hole in the • AkaAa yet it is too cold, ation, but it will be differ- * couple of months. i Cherry, the Public Works the camp was up to the ■ of Departmental camps, i ! be better placed for coahealth. One of the young worked in Public Works the information that this one he had struck. i Jreenberg, general, secre- -1 f-JI.C.A., took out a large ; igazineij and parcels 4 - .o* iter day. lie is also going to

ar£ange entertainments anil other services as circumstances-warrant. Mr J. L. Goldsmith said that ho would probably be able to arranjge, through Mr R. H. Nimmo, who. was a visitor yes- | tcrday, for to be provided with a radio set Sit an early date. The Camp Slogan;. The young men are all between 20 and 30 years of age. Yesterday they were in great fettle, and full of laughter and animal spirits. One said that the camp slogan was, "No Communists need apply." So far the campers e been engaged in getting the camp into order. To-day they start improving and widening the gorge road, working the easy ground first. CAMPS FOR SINGLE MEN. The hundred single men who are going into the two camps in Canterbury under the No. 5 Scheme left yesterday morning for their destinations —75 to the camp at Hill Top, and 25 to the camp at Motunau. Those for Hill Top left by the Little River train at 7.55 ( a.m., and those for**'Motunau by the train for Parnassus which loft at 8 a.m.; these men -tdetrained at Scargill. All the men selected for the camps reported at the railway station. They were a fine stamp of worker. Although several unemployed were on the station platform there was no attempt at a demonstration, despite rumours that something of the .® would take place.. Mr E. T. Bauey, officer in e.haxge of the Labour Department, superintended the entraining of the men. 'A sergeant of police and several constables also were on the station Pl of the unemployed, held at the Trades Hall yesterday, earned a motion protesting against tlie Oovernment's action in permitting tfie conscription" of single men to the camps, and calling upon railwaymen and. all transport workers to declare such transportation "black."

SINGLE MEN WITH DEPENDENTS. / Regarding the requtest made to the Unemployment Board that single men with dependents be classified as married men, the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) has received the following from Mr 3. McCombs, M.P.: — ".Regarding the proposal to classify as married men single men with widowed mothers and younger brothers and sisters to keep, I have received the following communication from the Minister, as chairman of the Unemployment .Board: — " 'With reference to your representations regarding the classification of single men according to tlie number of their dependents, I have to inform you that the Unemployment Board has fully discussed the matter, but finds it to be undesirable to alter the classification of single men.' " ■ AMURI COUNTY. A letter received by the Labour Department authorities in Christchurch from the Amuri County Council indicates that the statement madfe at Monday's meeting of the Christchurch Unemployment Committee, that the County Council is "doing nothing to relieve unemployment," was not strictly accurate. The letter sets out: — "We' are always pleased to find work for unemployed, including transport, tools, and camping facilities, if sufficient money is offered by the Unemployment Board. At present, we are approaching the Board with a view to obtaining twenty single men on road formation near Waiau." The letter also sets out that two men who complained that the Council gent them into Christchurch in search of work had been employed by the Council until a short time ago. Referring to the letter, Mr It. T. Bailey said that it was a complete

answer to some of the statements made at the meeting of the committee, and he expressed the opinion that an apology was due to the Amuri people. NO MORE FREE MEAL TICKETS. - It was announced yesterday that the Women's Unemployment Committee had decided to discontinue, as from yesterday, the issue of free meal tickets to unemployed men. This is the result of the falling-off in subscriptions to the committee's funds. It was hoped that tße Trades Hall authorities would be able to make some arrangement whereby members of the various unions who are unemployed would be able to receive meal tickets from their respective unions. Mr G. Lawn has been asked to approach the unions on behalf of the committee in the matter. WORK UNDER DRAINAGE BOARD. It was reported to the Christchurch Drainage Board at its meeting last night that the average number of men employed under the No. o Scheme was 62 tkree-day workers and 50 two-day workers. They were employed on the following works: River Heathcote upstream trom Harrington street, widening and deepening. Wilderness Drain (lioker to Milton streets), deepening and timbiering. Papanui Creek, deepening. Kruse's Drain. North road, two and a lialf chains of concrete invert completed in tk_> sections adjoining St. Joseph's Softool. Riecarton Main Drain, trimming banks and regrading from Mandeville street, eastward. -McSaveney's drain, deepeuing and widening. Ramahana road. St. Martins, laying 15-inch stormwater drain to Ngaio street. Hills road, drain. Half cost of materials anu supervision to be refunded by the Heathcote County Council. In connexion with the above a sump was

constructed, the cost of which will be charged to the Council. The Board's Engineer has been instructed to take whatever steps he deems necessary" to protect the culvert and carry on with the deepening of Wilderness drain to Cheviot street. POUND SCHEME. MEETING AT NEW BRIGHTON. • A meeting of the committee controlling the Pound Scheme in New Brighton was held in the Borough Council Chambers last evening, Mr 12. L. Smith over a large attendance. The chairman stated that as a very poor sale of wood had been made he had interviewed the-distributing committee, and the price had been reduced to £1 15s per cord. Seven cords bad been sold. In connexion with the closing of the depot ho had interviewed the Mayor of Christchurch, Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., i ana the Mayor of New Brighton, Mr •J. H. Shaw, and it had been decided to endeavour to carry on until the end of October. Mr Sullivan had said that New Brighton would share in the proceeds of the big drive to raise funds which was to be held in the City in the near future. "We cannot close up and let the people go hungry; the distress in the I borough is enormous," said Mr Smith Continuing, ho said that the time had arrived for the pepole of the borough tc arrange a drive for funds. A further gift of £5 had been received that clay from Mr D. G. Sullivan, through whose efforts the depot was still receiving a supply of four sheep per week. V otes of thanks were accorded Messrs H. Lorgelly, B. Lorgelly, G. Hampton, L. P. Williams, and A. Florance, and all canvassers and those who had contributed to the maintenance of the relief depot. It was reported that 1025 parcels of food had left the depot, providing relief for- 229 families. The sum of £2 2s Id had been received as the proceeds froiu a

cor cert organised by the unemployed. The Rev. T. M. Curnow said that some method of relief would have to be kept up. He moved that the scheme be carried on v under» a modified scale until the end of October. The motion was carried. . The Mayor (Mr J. H. Shaw) said that he was quite convinced that there was more need than ever for relief measures to be maintained. It was decided to open ; the depot on Tuesdays and Fridays only in future. -