UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LIII, Issue 56, 15 July 1932, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

POSITION AT LEESTON

DISCUSSED.

There was a brief discussion at the meeting of the Leeston Town Board on Tuesday evening regarding unemployment relief at Leeston, the outcome being that the clerk was instructed to write to the local Unemployment Committee asking it to keep the matter of the allocation steadily in view and to obtain for the local men as full an allocation of funds as possible.

Cmr. Lyons, who brought the matter forward, said that he understood that the men in Leeston were not getting the same number of days work as those in the cities. He considered that the Board should see that the men received as much as they were entitled to. - The clerk said that the men in Leeston were receiving the full amount of work to which they were entitled, and he explained the system under which the work was being carried out. The only difficulty was that recently there had been a great increase, in the number of registrations and the money was running short. The local Unemployment Committee ihad made application for an increased grant and if this were secured the men would receive a reasonable amount of work.

Cmr. Lyons said that a man with five children could not secure more than three days per week. This was quite inadequate for him to maintain his family. He thought that it was possible to secure more money if an effort was made.

The clerk pointed out that three days was the maximum. He added that the regulations in the city did not as yet apply to the country districts. Cmr. Lyons considered that the matter should be looked into. Cmr. Free said that the people here who were hard up against it were worse off than in the towns, where there were relief depots. He said that an increased sum had been made available for work in the country districts. Cmr. Vicary said the cities raised the money for their depots. The clerk said that ration tickets j could be obtained at the local Post I Office in the same way as in the cities. Cmr. Rowell said that he understood that where a relief worker was on full time no ration tickets could be issued. Cmr. Lyons said that the Board should not be behind hand in trying to get as much as possible for the men who were in need in the district.

On his motion it was decided to make representations to the local Unemployment Committee on the lines of his suggestion.