Allotment of Relief Work

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 65, 10 December 1930, Page 13

Allotment of Relief Work

Sir, —It is to be hoped the Unemployment Board, in their allotment of relief work, .will discriminate between those who are physically fit for rough manual labour and those who are not. There are many men who, owing to the economic stress, are forced into the ranks of api plicants for relief work, but who are quite ■ unfitted for piek and shovel work. To force these men to do work they are unable to cope with, merely because they are unfortunate, is to inflict needless hardship upon them, possibly to cause serious physical injury, and from the taxpayers’ viewpoint in every way . an economic blunder. They should be given light work. It would be better indeed, rather than such men should be forced to work at tasks beyond their strength, that the community should pav them to do nothing until such time as suitable employment could be found for them. A medical examination would perhaps be necessary to avoid abuses. I am perhaps anticipating the board’s intentions. If so, no one will be more pleased than I will be.—l am, etc., WORKER. Nga.io. .