FULL-TIME WORK PROVIDED

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21986, 9 January 1937, Page 4

FULL-TIME WORK PROVIDED

HUNDRED MEN PLACED IN DULLER DISTRICT HOPES IN GOLD-PROSPECTING SCHEME Since an office of the Employment Division of the Labour Department was established at Westport on November 1 about 100 men have been placed on full-time rates of pay. At the end of the year there were 719 men in the Duller district on relief, compared with 856 in December 1935 and 916 in May last. The new office, which is in charge of Mr H. J.’ Anthony, has taken over the administration of the gold-pros-pecting scheme in this area, and also the whole of the unemployment relief work for the district. The bureaux formerly existing at Karamea, Denniston, and Millerton have been closed, and all operations have been centralised in the Westport office. The 719 men receiving various classes of relief include 253 men employed under the gold prospecting scheme. ’ Work at full-time rates has been found in the employ of the Bullet County Council, and also on track work for the gold" prospecting scheme. ' A request that track work should be at full-time rates was placed before the heads of the Labour Department when they visited Westnort last year by the Duller Mining Executive' Committee, which was formerly in charge of the prospecting scheme -in Duller. Although there is no actual placement officer in Westport, the local ■office is undertaking placement work, and'Mr Anthony said yesterday that he would be pleased if any prospective employer requiring men would get into touch with him. “There is no need for any qualified man, such as an engineer or a plumber or ‘any skilled workman, to be out of his proper employment at present,” said Mr Anthony. He instanced the case of an engineer who possessed a first-class certificate, but who had been unemployed for a long time. As soon as he made contact with the Westport Emnloyment Office an engineering position was found for him almost immediately. Mr Anthony , said that the gold prosnecting scheme was continuing to •function efficiently in the district. The search for payable reefs or alluvial deposits was being, rigorously pursued, and it was hoped that this would eventually result in the discovery of a payable gold-bearing area that would provide permanent employment for some men.