SUBSIDISED WORK

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 300, 15 September 1937, Page 6

SUBSIDISED WORK

Progress in Hutt and Makara Counties

Referring yesterday to the remarks of the chairman of the Hawke’s Bay County Council, Mr. F. B. Logan, concerning men employed by the council under the Government’s three months’ subsidy scheme who refused to continue work until transport was provided, representatives of the Hutt and Makara County Councils expressed satisfaction with the progress of the scheme in their counties.

About 30 men are employed by the Hutt County Council and IS b£ the Makara council under the scheme. Transport problems did not arise, it was stated, because the men were employed fairly close to the city; those working for the Hutt county were doing work on footpaths in various localities, and most of the Makara county men were employed on road access work at Tawa Flat. The men in both cases were putting in a good day’s work, and there was every indication that they appreciated the standard wage and a job that, was productive and worth doing well.

It. was away from the town areas that transport problems arose, as the award provided that the employer under certain conditions must convey or allow time for conveyance to and from the job. In depression times there were usually numbers of carriers to be secured for the purpose, but normally they were fully engaged on their own business, and the local bodies’ ' own forms of conveyance had to be relied on. Consequently, unless a truck was to be used on the particular job, the transport of the men would be an inconvenience. A suggested compromise for the Hawke’s Bay trouble was that transport be provided for the uphill journey and the men be allowed time to walk the downhill journey home. In the case of the Hutt county it was mentioned that a number of men could have been given useful work at Paekakariki lint for the difficulties of transport and accommodation. It was considered that any large number of men would require fairly complete accommodation, but to provide this was hardly worth while for a period of 12 weeks. With an additional allowance of perhaps 4/6 a day for each man the probable cost was found to be prohibitive.