UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20420, 15 December 1931, Page 16

UNEMPLOYMENT.

MEETING OF LOCAL COMMITTEE. VEGETABLE GROWING SCHEME. "Is that for publication?" asked Cr, K. H. Andrews, chairman of the Christ- | <-liurch Unemployment Committee yesterday, when tho honorary secretary (Mr ,r. F. Eames) announced a communication from the Unemployment Board regarding relief workers. "It is not marked 'confidential,' " Mr Eames replied. •'You cannot treat it as confidential if it is not marked 'confidential'," said Mr W. E. Leadley. The communication was a circular signed by the Deputy-Chairman of the Board (Mr J. S. Jessep) and dealt with a scheme under which tho unemployed should raise vegetables. It set out that the Board had been considering the necessity for workers to provide themselves, as far as possible, with the necessaries of life outside tho relief coniributed by the general public through tbe Belief Depots, and intended requesting those on relief works, as far as they are able, to help themselves. It was desired, therefore, that workers should .•ultivate in their own time areas of ground they are occupying whether as owners, or tenants, for the growing of vegetables, thereby assisting to mainlain themselves. "After January Ist. 1932, the Board intends to make it a condition of relief that workers have in this manner attempted to help themselves." In the event of no land being attached to the house occupied by the relief worker the Board would be glad if local bodies and committees endeavoured to secure vacant or plots. This scheme had been put effect voluntarily in variouß localities, notably Stratford, with very great benefit to the workers. Accompanying the circular were extracts from the rules of the Community Club operating in Stratford. Compulsory or Voluntary. • The chairman (replying to Cr. Annio I. Fraer) said that if the scheme were adopted arrangements would be made for providing seeds. There was a great deal of merit in the proposals, but the scheme possibly would be more difficult trv apply to a place like Christchurch than to a place like Stratford. Here nearly every house had its garden plot. I Some" of the unemployed were only j in a house for a few monthß, and consequently did not put a spade into the ground; other cases the unemployed thoroughly cultivated their gardens. Ho | questioned if 10s worth of vegetables eonld be grown weekly by each individual, as suggested in the extracts from tho Stratford rules. At present prices for vegetables it would take a lot to be worth 10s. For some seasons past and for the present season the market had been absolutely glutted with vegetables. Mr F. L. Jlutchinson considered that it was a good move on the part of the Beard to bring forward such a scheme. The idea of sections close to the City was a good one, and reminded him of the allotment system in England. ; Mr F. W. J. Belton also referred to the English scheme and said that after the war a vast number of the allotments were continued. The suggested scheme should be gone into very carefully. One of the crying sins pf the day was the. wicked 4nd wanton 3estruction of food; —not only vegetables, but fish also — because it would not be sold at prices at which people could buy it. Mr W. E. Leadley thought that it was going too far if, as stated in the circular, it was to bo made a condition of receiving relief employment, that the worker had cultivated his vegetable garden. Mr George Harper agreed with this view, and said that it should be purely voluntary. Cr. .T. W. Beanland said that a number of sections in Christchurch were being prepared for raising vegetables, labour under the No. 5 Scheme being employed, the City Council making up the difference in pay from 12s 6d to 14s. A small committee was set up to report on a scheme on somewhat similar lines to the Stratford one. It was dcetded, also, to write to the Unemployment Board and ask fo* a definition of the clause in the circular—"■ "After January Ist, 1032, the Board intends to make it. a condition of relief that workers have in this manner attempted to help themselves."—whether' it is to be made a hard and fast rule, or to be on a voluntary basis. 1 Domain Board's Belief Work. Mr H.' Kitson j chairman of the Domains Board, attended, and. said that Jie had referred men who had been put off the work at tho Gardens to Mr Bailey, as it was quite impossible for the Board to deal with individual cases; it eould only deal with them in groups. At present the Board was rapidly going o» the ; financial rocks, and the No. 5 Scheme had contributed a great deal to that state of things. -The Board had no work in. Wliich an intelligent interest could be taken; they were practically making work, but those em- ■* ployed knew that it was not work of any value, and not; work in which thev could take any prido or interest. The financial part was becoming a burden, and even though the Unemployment Board was providing the wages the other portion was becoming so heavy that the ratepayers, in addition to paying the unemployment tax, would be taxed through the rates. The Board ; eould not spend more than its income without coming on the contributing bodies for increased contributions. Cr. J. W. Beanland said that he had discussed the matter over the telephone with Mr Kitson, and had then understood froiri him; that something might be done as far as the position up to Christmas was concerned. Mr Kitson said that Cr. Beanland probably had misunderstood hiin: what aJwi in *ended to convey was that the n # ° ltß Dt most to provide work for men who were physically unfit men unable to take on pick and shovel work, who could be put to washing flower pots. The time had come whef the unemployed should be graded, and for 7 woir £ ar f e at 7 ' 30 a - m - daily for work. He knew that there was a horror of militarism, but what he suir- - treated was not militarism; but only set2;°™ "E k ° £ order - V *">• Board 03 S rou P ™en, but he did h«Wfct I" 7 r T° n in the Bo <«d taking healthy men who were able to do heavv Z*™ f , h6 roads ; The Board had JhZ l 0 ?°. metime s ahout 150 men ' 5* miODB obtained —he wonM . had b ® en knocked about -he wou!d not say by one class or the other of relief workers. The Board at sufficient for4oo the toohT■ not , BU ® ci ent for 160;' «-*-t saM ?h»iV° * q, l estioa > Kitson ■ ■ vSWiSsi r m * k ° « b « •• S srW 0 h " vy 5- ski * J ■■ ®ome occasions mr-n * d ® -hovel work had SSuS?* »°»ains Board, but unfit aca alao had boe j fe <'l * < >

It was decided to leave the matter of the selection of the men to get work in the gardens up to Christmas to Messrs Kitson and Bailey. Mr J. P. Eames asked what was to be done with the fit men who had been employed in.the gardens; Tho chairman (Cr. E. H. Andrews) said that all the money allocated by the Unemployment Board would be used in providing men with work—they were not going to allow the money to be returned to Wellington. 80, while the mon would not get work in the gardens, they would be employed somewhere. He knew that it was getting difficult to find employment but so far they had been able to find work of some kind or another. The greatest problem was the physically unfit man. He had been accused of sending a one-legged man to some relief work, but one-legged men ; had to live like anyone else. RapaJcl Road. Mr W. W. Scarff said that the proposal made by Mr John Montgomery regarding the construction of a track in the vicinity of the Rapaki road had been investigated by five out of seven members of the Heathcote County Council, and their opinion was that it was an impossible job. The grade would be 1 in 5, and there was stone practically all the way. The trouble would be when the rocks began rolling down on gardens. If it had been at all possible they would have recommended the work. Subsidies Proposal. Acknowledging the committee's resolution to the effect that the Unemployment Board should be requested to consider granting applications from responsible financial institutions, up to 50 per cent, of interest charges for a period of years, upon approved public utility, or secondary industries schemes, the Unemployment Commissioner wrote that any such applications should be submitted to the Board individually and they would be considered on their merits. CHRISTMAS WORK. CITY COUNCIL'S PROPORTION OF GRANT. The Water Supply and Works Committee reported to last night's meeting of the City Council that advice had been received of an allocation of £15,000 being made by the Unemployment Board for the provision of additional relief work prior to Christmas, of which £I3OO had been allocated to Christchurch. Arrangements were accordingly being made to take on extra men. The principal works in hand under the Belief of Unemployment Loan were as follows: —Trafalgar street, Abberley road, Rolleston street, Fifield terrace, Simeon street, Garlands road, and Beckford road. The construction of kerbing around the trees in Bealey and Fitzgerald aver nues was also being carried out by relief workers with money provided on the Estimates for the purpose. The amount spent by the Council to date for the relief of unemployment was £11,688 in addition to the sum of £13,203 from the Belief of Unemployment Loan. Cr. J. W. Beanland stated that the Treasury Department of the City Council* had supplied him with a statement to the effect that for. the three weeks ended December sth the expenditure on unemployment relief was £7936 8s Id. When such a large amount was being spent in three weeks it showed what .the Council was) doing to, meet tho position. " By ' the end of March next the whole of the £220,000 Koading Loan would be spent by the* Council, as well as the subsequent loan of £39,000, and the bulk of the money set aside for tho No. 5 Scheme would be spent also. ' * The Government will therefore have to do something different to find work for unemployed men next year," ho added. Cr. Beanland said that during the next three weeks 400 additional men were to be taken. on by the City Council, the Water Supply and Works Committee employing about 260 and the Reserves Committee the balance.. The Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) said that Christchurch had done very well from the Government in regard to allocations for the relief of unemployment. Cr. J. McCombs, M.P.: Christchurch has also done all it could to help the Government in every possible way. The report was adopted. BEAUTIFYING RAILWAY LINES. CITY COUNCIL'S OFFER. The Water Supply and Works Committee reported to last night's meeting of the City Council that a suggestion had been inade to it that the Minister for Railways should be approached with a view to his arranging for relief workers to be employed in digging up and planting the railway lines on either side of the Main South line, between Selwyn and Antigua streets. The committee had written to the Minister intimating that if he could arrange for men to be so employed, the Council would provide the necessary shrubs. The report was adopted. WORK FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS. The Reserves Committee reported to last night's meeting of the City Council that the secretary of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association had written asking if the Council would accept the sum of £IOO to enable unemployed returned soldiers to be given work in the Council's lieserves department prior to Christmas. The Association did not ask that the amount be subsidised. The committee had accepted the olfer, and requested the Superintendent of Reserves to make the necessary arrangements for tho employment o*f the men. Tho report was adopted. The Abattoir, Reserves, and Milk Committee reported to last night's, meet lug of the City Council that the number of men employed by it at present was 246, who were engaged on works m the following places:—New cemetery reserve, Ruru Reserve; Bur- , Pflfk; Cottle .Lakej Spreyclon Domain; small reserves in various parts of the City; nursery and cemeteries.