DISTRESS RELIEF

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 63, 8 December 1930, Page 10

DISTRESS RELIEF

Subsidies Total £19,356

LOCAL BODY GRANTS Committee’s Functions Allocations totalling £19,356 have been made by the Unemployment Board to 48 local bodies and school committees,’ in accordance with its offer to make up to £25,000 available in subsidies on a £2 for for £1 basis for the relief of unemployment over the Christmas period. The allocations have been approved by the Acting-Minister of Finance. Subsidies will be paid only on money derived from other than Government sources. The list of allocations is as follow:— £ Christchurch City Council 1530 Auckland City Council "33 Napier Borough Council 124 New Plymouth Borough Council .... 400 Wairau River Board 100 Invercargill City Council 543 Taranaki County Council 300 Stewart Island County Council .... 50 Auckland City Council 1400 Bluff Borough Council 120 Waimakarlri River Trust 200 Walmalrl County Council 450 Heathcote County Council 702 Greymouth Borough Council 107 Wellington City Council 4000 Mosgiel Borough Council 48 Mount Albert Borough Council .... 250 Heathcote County Council and Lyttelton Borough Council combined 400 Patangata County Council 300 Hokianga Countv Council 585 Inglewood Borough Council 285 Brighton Domain Board 100 Clutha County Council 400 Grey County Council l”’0 Gore Borough Council _64 Dunedin Citv Council 573 St. Heller’s School Committee 29j Blenheim Borough Council 200 Johnsonville Town Board’ 00 Taranaki County Council 100 Opotiki Borough Council 100 Otago Harbour Board 1500 Paparua County Council 100 Peninsula County Council -00 Stratford Countv Council »<> Waimate Borough Council <OO Stratford Borough Council -0«> Te Awamutu Borough Council 2”0 Henderson Town Board )'■’ Christchurch City Council 40“ Kaltangata School Committee 1“ Mangawhau School Committee 1W Tisbury School Committee Winton Borough Council -ov Waihi Borough Council Lower Hutt Borough Council 400 Napier Giris’ High School Total ® 19,336

The board has decided to adopt the model set of rules drawn up by the North Taranaki Unemployment Relief Committee in defining the functions of local committees which will be set up under the Act to co-operate in dealing with unemployment in individual districts. The following proposals are made by the board as the functions of committees: —

(1) To collect and collate information affecting the problem of unemployment in the district. (2) To organise individual effort on the part of residents of the district with the object of finding temporary work for unemployed men, if only for a few. days at a time, on farms, gardens, and in Buch other avenues as opportunity may occur. (3) To co-operate with and to assist existing organisations which are administer ing relief. ... (4) To administer any fund granted oy the board to the committee for the purpose of subsidising on a £ for £ basis labour engaged by any farmer in the district through the committee for works on Ills farm leading to increased production therefrom, and coming within the following descriptions: (a) Felling of bush and ploughing apd grassing down of new areas on the farm; (b) stumping; (c) the draining of swamps: (d) harvesting of grass and crops. , , (5) To exercise a general supervision over all labour engaged through the commlttC?6) To co-operate with the board In all matters related to relief of unemployment as the board may from time to time require. (7) To keep a register setting out particulars of work offered to any unemployed man, stating whether he accepted such work, and if so whether lie made a rea sonable effort to give satisfaction. (2) To report to the board the names of any men declining work or deliberately performing their work in an unsatisfactory manner. <„ (9) To appoint local committees in van ous parts of the districts, the duties of each local committee to be as follow, (a) To obtain and supply to the Central Committee 1 'I information required by it in regard to any of the functions of the Central Committee as above enumerated, (b) to supervise any iabour engaged thr o £ the Central Committee for works In the Committee shall from time to time Indicate.

THE STATE’S PART “Efforts Unrelaxed” A statement by the Mayor of Nelson that the Government had apparently handed over the responsibility of dealing with the unemployment question to the Unemployment Board, and that it had paid off all men on relief works was refuted bv the Minister of Public Works, Hbn W B Taverner, m a statement on Saturday. He said the suggestion made was entirely contrary to fact. The Minister explained that the provision of employment for men on Government relief works was still being attended to by himself, and other members of the Cabinet Employment Committee, although the committee would be only too pleased to receive suggestions from the Unemployment Board. He also explained that the Cabinet Employment Committee was of opinion that at this time of the year, when seasonal works is, or should shortly be available, the period of continuous employment of single men on relief works should be limited to about three months. Dealing specially with the NelsonMarlborough district. Mr. Taverner stated that it had been decided to dispense with the services of about 100 single men, who had been employed on relief works in that district for over four months, and fill the resulting vacancies with other men from Nelson-Marlborough and Wellington who had been without work for several months, and were consequently in very straitened circumstances. This action, m addition to distributing Government relief work among a larger number of unemployed. would release nhysieally-fit men who would be available for farming aid agricultural work, in the district.

WAIMEA COUNTY WAGES By Telegraph—Press Association. Nelson, December 6. In connection with the remarks made at the Waimea County Council meeting regarding the rate of relief wages, it is pointed out by the chairman that file council's payment of 12/- a day referred to the rate paid casual workers, many of whom are small farmers. Permanent surfacemen and bridgemen are paid 13/n day and tractor drivers and other drivers 15/-.