UNEMPOYED RELIEF

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 54, 27 November 1930, Page 12

UNEMPOYED RELIEF

Help to be Immediate MONEY FOR CHRISTMAS £25,000 in Subsidies BOARD’S FIRST DECISION The Unemployment Board reached its first decision concerning the expenditure of its funds yesterday when it was agreed to offer an amount totalling £25,000 by way of subsidies, to various local bodies for immediate relief purposes. The money is to be made available in order that unemployed, and especially married men, may be able to earn a few pounds to tide them over the Christmas period. In announcing its decision yesterday the board pointed out in a statement that where unemployment was acute subsidies would be granted to the following bodies City councils, borough councils, county councils, town boards, drainage boards, river boards, road boards, education boards, school committees, and hospital boards. Terms of Payments. Payment of subsidies will be made on the following terms and conditions :— (1) £2 for £1 on estimated cost, including materials o£ suitable relief works. (2) Works to be either of capital nature or special maintenance (3) Works shall contain at least 50 per cent, of labour based on wages at the rate of 14/- per day. (4) The payment of subsidy on labour shall be limited to wages at the rate of 14/- per day, and transport used on the works. (5) No subsidy to bo payable on supervision, overhead, etc. (15) Proposals to be approved by public works district engineers before work is commenced. (7) Subsidy to be limited to expenditure incurred up to and including January 31, 1031. (8) Labour to be engaged through Government labour bureaux. (9) Local bodies to be notified that this is a special offer which is being made to relieve distress this Christmas, and it .is not to be regarded as establishing a precedent. Applications should be promptly made to the board through the public works engineers in the respective disl Iritis accompanied by a description of work and of the estimate of cost, with 'labour and material shown separately. The number of men to be employed on work should be stated. Pressing Need. This announcement by the board provides an effective reply to the request of a deputation which waited on ■ members of the Cabinet last week, asking that immediate relief should be given to the unemployed to assist them over the Christmas period. Although .the board is in no way controlled by the Government or influenced by Cabinet, its first action has resulted in the wishes of the deputation being met. It is understood that the pressing need ' for immediate relief in certain districts led to the board deciding to grant subsidies totalling £25,000, although, as is pointed out in the official ' announcement, its action is not to be regarded as establishing a precedent

Shaping a Policy. Naturally the board has not yet had time to investigate sufficiently schemes for the undertaking and encouragement of reproductive work which it is hoped will form a large part of its activities when once it has settled down to its J task. It will be some time before it 1 can shape a definite policy along the broad lines laid down in the Act, but no effort is being spared to overcome initial formalities and arrive at a comprehensive basis from which to work. Members were engaged in close discussion throughout the whole of yesterday, and policy questions received considerable attention. The board conferred with Mr. G. McNamara, secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, and other officials yesterday morning, and various aspects concerning the payment of the levy and registration were passed under review. Spirit of Co-operation. The indications are that the hope expressed by members at the first meeting on Tuesday that their work might be performed in a spirit of complete co-operation will be fully realised. Early discussions have shown that it is the general wish of the board to meet the unemployment problem with an united front and as a result it is confidently believed that the work of the board will be handled from a national viewpoint. The appointment of Mr. Malcolm Fraser, Government Statistician, as Commissioner of Unemployment and chief executive officer of the board, has been favourably received in many quarters, as it is believed that his wide knowledge of the statistical aspect of many of the questions which will come, under the notice of the board will be invaluable to it. In addition, Mr. Fraser acted with the special committee on unemployment upon whose suggestions the Act of this year 'was framed, and he has therefore already studied the problem closely. Although he will be kept almost continuously occupied with the board, he will not entirely relinquish his duties as Government Statistician. Administrative Costs. In accordance with the policy of the Government to make the Act operative without creating a separate department for its administration, all Government departments whose aid might be required by the board will be- called upon to give their assistance. This will keep administrative costs down to a minimum, and Mr. Fraser’s temporary attachment to the board is in keeping, with the Government’s intention in this respect. Although in the aggregate the £25,000 to be paid to local bodies in subsidies is a fairly large sum. the amount paid to each local authority that applies for a grant will not be very big. However, it is understood that the board purposely decided not to advance too large a sum. its main object being to give some relief for those who otherwise might be in straits over Christmas. In stating that its present action is not to be taken as the establishment of a precedent, the board infers that it would rather spend the money on reproductive work than on relief measures. It is expected that the board will from time to time issue progress reports of its work, and a policy statement will probably be prepared in the near future.