PETONE UNEMPLOYED

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 58, 2 December 1930, Page 6

PETONE UNEMPLOYED

Deputation to Council

TIDING OVER CHRISTMAS

In the last few months the Petone Borough Council has been waited on by several deputations of unemployed. Another one waited ons-the council at last night’s meeting, when a hearing was given it by courtesy. No decisions were come to beyond suggestions to be made to the Minister’ of Public Works regarding the placing of more men on the Koro Koro Road.

The spokesman of the deputation was Mr. Westhead, and his suggestions were for the purpose of seeing if the men could not obtain some work to get money for the Christmas season. They wanted more men on the Koro Koro Road, he said. Also that the men be selected for unemployed work, not by the borough engineer but by a committee of the men who knew all the circumstances of each man. Preference, he argued, should not be given to men on charitable aid relief, as there were many deserving cases where the men were too proud to accept assistance. He suggested also that something should be done by the council to see that toys were procurable for the children of the unemployed for Christmas. He understood it would be impossible to put all the men unemployed on Koro Koro Road. The Gear Company would be absorbing quite a number. A man who had been out of work for twelve weeks contended that he had not had a fair go. He thought there must be some funny work going on in the office, and it ought to be investigated. “It is very regrettable, I assure you,” said the' milyor, Mr. D. McKenzie, “to have, to listen to these appeals for employment. It is, as you no doubt know, a very difficult position for us. • We have spent over.£2ooo in Petone on-unemploy-ed relief, without authority from the ratepayers. This unemployment problem seems a recurring one. It seems to me the Government is not doing what I expected it would from, the .30/-. ;

“As far as Koro Koro is concerned yoii know the position there. I asked the Minister, of .Public Works last week ilji.he would .be able to employ every man in. Petone out of work, on the job at once. The Minister has since said he would put 50 men on. My aim was to get every man some work for Christmas time.” In reply to a question from Councillor Toomath, it was stated that the Gear Company would probably absorb about 100 men.

Mr. Westhead thought that it' the Petone lists were gone carefully through, and allowances made for the absorption by the Gear Company, the number of unemployed would be about 150. ,

Councillor'Toomath thought, on the assumption that there were 150 unemployed, that each man could get a week’s work on Koro Koro before Christmas.

A discussion ensued when the deputation withdrew. " Councillor Jacobson doubted whether the unemployed was more serious this year, than in previous years. So far as the apepal. for toys was concerned he thought the men would Be better employed at home making toys rather than roaming the streets doing nothing. He did not want to be reported as being unduly hard on the men, but they should do something. Councillor Toomath contended that registration by the men was essential. It was not the province of the council to provide toys for the children. No doubt there Were societies and organisations that would be glad to run concerts for such a purpose. I. ?,;/ . . . A question arose as to how the men

on the Koro Koro job are to lie paid, and efforts are to be made to see if the wages could be paid weekly. / NOT PRACTICABLE Mr, Walter Nash’s Scheme A scheme proposed by Mr. Walter Nash, M.P., whereby £2OOO was proposed to be raised in the Hutt Valley by voluntary subscriptions • and t so obtain 'the Unemployment Board subsidy of £2 and £1 was «iot considered practicable by. the Petone Borough Council at its meeting last night. ~ ' ,It was .'suggested by Mr. Nash that the Mayors of the various borOughs in the Valley should launch an appeal and that a personal canvass should also be made of the Hutt Valley. There were 388 men registered as unemployed in Lower Hutt and Petone, and .oil a6O per cent, labour basis the sum of £6OOO would provide £4OOO for. wages, or two weeks and a half wages for each man registered. The work was to be undertaken on the recommendation of the various borough engineers, and the whole of the money would be spent in the Hutt Vailey. Members of the council considered that about £5O was [he outside amount that could be collected in Petone by such means. While it was decided to thank Mr. Nash for his suggested scheme, councillors thought it was impracticable under the present circumstances. COMMITTEE SET UP In connection with unemployment in the Hutt Valley, the committee -set up in Petone under the scheme suggested by Mr. Walter Nash, M.P., comprises Councillor H. N. Burns, Ensign Parkinson (Salyation Army), Mrs. A. Bennett, exCouncillor McCarthy, Mr. J. Kerr, with Mr. D. McKenzie, mayor, as chairman.