WORK READY

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 6, 2 October 1929, Page 12

WORK READY

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

PRIME MINISTER’S PLANS

REGISTRATION ESSENTIAL

DETAILS OF BIG SCHEME

Announcing that work would bo available in all the activities in which the Government was engaged, the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward), in a statement to the House of Representatives yesterday, issued a public invitation to all the unemployed of New Zealand to immediately register with the Labour Bureau, and participate in the Government’s offer to absorb in five weeks all who are out of work; In a subsequent statement to a “Dominion” representative, the Prime Minister indicated the number of men who would bo dealt with for a start.

“The Government intend to put on labour throughout the country,” said Sir Joseph Ward in the House, “but in order to have some system instituted I invite those who are out of work and want to take advantage of the Government’s offer to put their names on record at the various labour bureaux throughout the country. We are in a position to employ labour now, but we want to’ have it systematised, and we want to know that we are accepting the right applicants. This intimation will convey to those who want work the correct way to go about getting their names submitted to the Ministry. We have had a meeting of Cabinet about the matter already, and we have decided upon the course we are going to pursue. It is necessary to get the business under way and have the applicants apply at the labour bureaux, who will forward the names to the Ministry.” What is the Work?

Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour, Auckland) : What is the nature of the work offering? The Prime Minister: Various kinds of work —railways, lands, buildings, forestry, roads, and every kind of work that the Government is doing. .We want the applications in. We are in earnest about it, and we want to absorb the labour offering. Every class of work the Government has at its disposal will be utilised to absorb those out of work.

Mr. R. McKeen (Labour, Wellington South) : When will the first batch be put on? “As soon as we get a sufficient number to send them to a particular work,” replied the Prime Minister. “Up to now wo have had no applications.” Mr. McKeen: What about the applications in the bureaux? The Prime Minister: I am asking that names now be put in. ‘‘A Very Difficult Business.” Mr. J. A. Nash (Reform, Palmerston) : Is any provision being made for men unable to do heavy, manual work? The Prime Minister replied that the allocation of men on account of their individual capacity was a very difficult business, but each case ,would be considered on its merits, and if suitable work could be found it would be provided in the cases referred to. Mr. F. Langstone (Labour, Waimarino) : In country districts there are no labour bureaux.

“In those cases,” replied the Prime Minister, “the men can register at the post offices.”

AN IMMEDIATE START

1000 MEN ON FORESTRY CO-ORDINATION & EXPEDITION Elaborating the statement he had made in the House, the Prime Ministerinformed a “Dominion” representative that with the return to Wellington of Ministers who constituted the Cabinet Committee that was handling the details of organisation, he had/ been able to assure himself that they had finalised their machinery proposals for carrying out the scheme. He was able to announce, therefore, that the Government were going ahead immediately with the execution of the plans it had been preparing to take up the whole of the unemployed, and applications would be received immediately from men requiring work. As a first instalment, 1000 men would be engaged immediately by the State Forest Service. In addition, at least 500 more would be taken on various jobs to be started by the Public Works Department, and on land improvement, irrigation, and swamp drainage. Other avenues of employment would also be opened as required. Registration Essential. “I desire to make it clear,” said the Prime Minister, “that the Government intends to put an end to the discrepancy which is so often stated to exist between Ihe number of unemployed as disclosed by the Labour Department's register, and those stated to be known to trades unions and others to be out of work. To this end, it has been decided that all men genuinely wanting work must register themselves with the Government labour bureaux, and work will be found for them. With the commencement of the various works which are to be started within the next few weeks, no man willing and able to work will have any excuse for stating that he is unable to get it. In this connection, the Government expects that trades unions and other unofficial labour organisations will'extend their fullest cooperation in ensuring that the men are properly registered. Work For the Skilled. “An important departure which is a feature of the present proposals is that whereas in the past no attempt has been made to provide specially for tradesmen the work for which they are most suited and most able to give full return for the money expended, that is, in their own occupations, this is now being done. In other words, the unskilled and. as far as possible, the skilled worker, will be provided for, nnd I nm confident that it will bring good results, preventing the skilled worker from getting out of touch with his trade and from becoming discouraged." Cabinet Sub-Committee. The Prime Minister added that to ensure the greatest degree of co-ordina-tion and expedition, the operations were being supervised direct by a sub-commit-tee of Cabinet Ministers, consisting of the Hon. G. W. Forbes (chairman), Hon. W. A. Veitch. Hon. E. A. Ransom, and the Hon. W. B. Taverner, with Mr. W. J. Shanly as secretary. To work under the Minister and keep them in touch with the actual progress of the work, there would be a selected committee of departmental officers. Application might be made at once to the Labour Department, or. in places at which there was no branch of that Department, to the local post office.