RELIEF WORKERS ON FARMS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21384, 29 January 1935, Page 7

RELIEF WORKERS ON FARMS

RANGIORA PROPOSAL NOT FAVOURED REQUEST TO UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE A proposal that farmers and Jocal bodies should be allowed to employ relief labour on ordinai'y farm and maintenance work at the usual unemployed rates was made at a meeting of the Christchurch Unemployment Committee yesterday, when a deputation was received from the Rangiora Unemployment Committee. It was argued by the spokesman for the deputation that the primary industries were under the greatest burden, and it was only by a change in the policy of the Unemployment Board that they would be benefited. The proposal was not endorsed by the Christchurch committee. Mr J. R. Wilkinson, who represented the Rangiora Unemployment Committee, said that the persistence of unemployment seemed to show that the depression was still heavy. That meant that the. primary industries were in a bad way. Relief expenditure was a load on the primary industries, and he asked that as much unemployed labour as could be absorbed would be made available for farmers and local bodies. If that were done it would help the primary industries very greatly. The Rangiora committee would be glad if the Christchurch committee would give its support to the proposal, and thus help to change the policy of the Unemployment Board. Questions Answered In reply to a question, Mr Wilkinson said he did not advocate that farmers be allowed to take relief workers when they had dismissed ordinary workers to make room for them. To Mr E. H. Andrews, he said that fanners should be relieved from payment for relief workers' services. The Unemployment Board should pay all the wages. That would leave the farmer to provide board and lodging. Mr A. Peverell: I think the farmer in that position would oe the best off in the country. Mr Wilkinson said the men would be used in ordinary farm work. The idea was simply to relieve the farmer of the cost of producing. Mr F. W. J. Belton: To be on the same basis, I should be able to staff my works with unemployed men, and simply house them in "Barracks on the works, and feed them! Mr G. Maginness said the matter was too big to De discussed in such a brief period. It could not be dismissed with a quarter of an hour's talk. He-thought the committee should meet the Rangiora body and discuss it. Mr W. E. Leadley suggested that a sub-committee consisting of Messrs E. H. Andrews, W. W. Scarff, W. J. Walter, and G. Maginness be set up to discuss the proposal with the Rangiora committee, but Mr J. W. Beanland said such a procedure would be futile. "Are we going to do something now specially favourable to the farming community to the detriment of people on relief in our own city?" he asked. "Jumping to Conclusions" Mr Leadley: You are jumping to conclusions. Mr Beanland: And to the right conclusion, too! They want to allow local bodies to employ two unemployed men to every six permanent men. If you are going to allow that you will have more unemployment than ever. Mr Leadley explained that if a committee were to go to Rangiora it could discuss the ..subject amicably and tell the Rangiora committee the proposal was impossible. It would be better than giving a curt refusal. Mr Beanland: As this committee is constituted we are, I take it, not fav-

ourable. It is a matter for the Unemployment Board. . . . We are trying to put men into regular employment, and it seems to me that this is going to put more men out of work. A motion was then passed stating that the committee considered the scheme, as propounded, was neither i solution nor in mitigation of unemployment, and it could take no further action. It recommended, however, that the Rangiora committee should place the matter before the Unemployment Board.