RELIEF FOR WORKLESS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 183, 1 May 1933, Page 10

RELIEF FOR WORKLESS

Cabinet and Board Confer on Plans PROPOSALS FOR WINTER The unemployment situation was considered on Saturday morning at a conference between Cabinet and the members of the Unemployment Board. For some time the board has been considering plans for dealing with the problem during the coming winter months, and these were fully explained to Ministers. After the conference the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, said he intended to make at an early date a statement dealing with the whole position. Cabinet had been made aware of the board’s proposals. It was his desire to make the public acquainted with what the Government and board were doing to deal with the problem. The present unemployment position Is revealed in figures for the week ended April 15, which were Issued by the Unemployment Board on Saturday. Alen on the register at April 15 last, or transferred therefrom to schemes other than scheme No. 5, totalled 68,255. This figure shows an increase of 1603 on the total for the week ended March 18. Of the 68,255 men, 5312 were ineligible for relief for various reasons. This leaves 62,943 men a charge on the board’s funds.

These 62,943 men are engaged as follows:—Scheme No. 5, 46,784; subsidised employment on farms under schemes Nos. 4a, 4b, farm camp scheme, etc, 9048. Camp scheme:—Land improvement and development, 2113; highways and backblock roads, 2627; afforestation (State Forest Service), 322; building scheme subsidy, 1015; gold prospecting schemes (exclusive of 2368 men pro specting under scheme No. 5), 548; miscellaneous (subsidised employment in various industries), 156. Of the 62,943 men it is estimated that at least 31,500 men are engaged on work of a definite reproductive developmental nature in connection with the Dominion’s primary industries.