AFTER No. 5 SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 17, 14 October 1933, Page 9

AFTER No. 5 SCHEME

What of the Future? TIME RIPE FOR ACTION Criticism of the No. 5 scheme and fears for the future were expressed by Cr. E. Windley at yesterday’s meeting of the Makara County Council. Mr. Windley contended that the scheme was not satisfactory. Works under the scheme were nearing completion, and naturally everyone was anxious to know what was going to happen. Ibis did not apply to his county only, but throughout the Dominion. The question, Mr. Windley added, was a tremendous one, and he hoped to be able to put forward some suggestion that would possibly lead to something being done. In the past, very little had been agreed upon, and very little work of a valuable nature had been carried out. Local bodies were up against things in the matter of finding something for the men to do. It was agreed that the scheme had come to the end of what usefulness it had ever possessed. The deputy-chairman of the Unemployment Board had described the position as tragic, and had suggested a piecework scheme. Mr. Windley agreed that the position must be regarded as tragic, but so far as Mr. Jessep’s proposal to institute a system of piecework was concerned, he did not think that any local bodies would agree to it. In his opinion such a scheme was impracticable, and he considered that local bodies should make a move to endeavour to formulate a that was going to get rid of the No. 5 scheme. What was needed, he continued, was a Dominion conference of those concerned with unemployment and with national welfare. If the position continued, the obvious conclusion would be that men would be on the dole, because local bodies'would have nothing for them to do. The Unemployment Board was doing its best to cope with the difficult position, and had put forward various schemes, hoping that some benefit would be derived from them; but no lasting benefit had resulted.

The taxpayers found about £4,000,000 a year to pay to the unemployed, and Mr. Windley submitted that the best use .was not being made of this revenue. If something were not done, the unemployment tax would never be lifted. With improving times, he added, the time was ripe for a move in this direction. and if ways and means could be found to derive a more beneficial use for the revenue, then a step should be made in that direction. Mr. Windley’s remarks were endorsed by the chairman, Mr.' R. W. Botha mley, and by Or. W. Horrobin.