SHARING WORK

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 132, 2 December 1930, Page 13

SHARING WORK

PETONE DISCUSSION

MEATWORKS GIVE RELIEF

CHRISTMAS PROBLEM

Discussions on unemployment occupied a great deal of the time of the Petono Borough Council at its meeting last night. A deputation of eighteen unemployed, led by Mr. J. Westhead, waited upon the council to place before it resolutions passed at a recent meeting of unemployed. They were: That the council be requested to have more men put on the Koro Koro job immediately, the men to be picked by a committee and not by the borough engineer; that ■work should be provided immediately by roading the old railway workshops site; that.preference should not be given to recipients of charitable aid, as there were many in just as needy a condition not receiving it; that something might be done to provide toys for the. children of the unemployed for the' coming Christmas. Mr. Westhead said that the men knew that the council1 had done. • as much as could be done and was pushing on with the Koro Koro job as well as it could. But would it not be possible for the council to stretch a point and take advantage of the Unemployment Board's offered subsidy? Even with the commencement of the meat works season, unemployment was still bad in Petone. Kegarding the soleetion of the men for relief works, he said that the men recognised the hard task the borough engineer had and they had no fault to find with him, but with the men who, after obtaining work, did not strike their names from the unemployed list, and so when they were selected for relief works did not turn up. COUNCIL DOING ITS BEST. The Mayor (Mr. D. M'Kenzie) said that the council was in a difficult position. It had already spent over £2000 on unemployment relief without the authority of.the ratepayers, and there was a limit beyond which it could not "go. He had obtained a promise from the Minister of Public Works that the number of men on the Korokoro job would be increased from 35 to 50, and more if possible,. and had appealed to the Minister to ration out the work so as to give every man some before Christmas. Whether the Minister would be able to do that was another thing. , , One of the deputation said that there •were 35 men on the Koro Koi;o job on Saturday. On Monday thcro were only 26, nine having gone to tho meat, works, and on Tuesday two more were going. That was not fair. Tho men took the relief work for a few days well knowing they would find employ'jnent at the moat works later. SOME ARITHMETIC. Councillor E. W. Toomath suggested that the men should re-registeV in the next two days. He felt sure that 230 w.as more than the actual number who now needed work, for about 100 would have been absorbed by the opening of the meat works at Petone and Ngahauranga. Thatleft say 150 to be employed, and of these 26 were on the Koro Koro road work, leaving approximately 125. It might be possible to get the Public Works Department, as a matter of urgency, to ration the work by the week instead of by the fortnight, and give wdrk4o 50 men a week in the three weeks till Christmas. The, Mayor promised that the council would give consideration to the men's wishes, and that lie weuld communicate further with the Minister of Public Works. The deputation then loft the room. The Borough Engineer said that there Trare .35 men on the pay sheet for the next, day ,on the Koro Koro job. It- was, -decided to telegraph to the Minister asking him to see that- the extra'men are put on at once/ Councillor V. E. Jacobson thought 'that -the council should insist on' the • men '[ reporting when they found employment elsewhere, so that their names could be removed from the list. At the risk-: of appearing unsympathetic with thoseout of work, he asked whether iin- ' employment was to any great extent ■ "worse than it had been in other years. The deputation had admitted that many of the 243 men oil tho list were sure ■of a.job, but had given their names in to get a few more shillings. The idea of providing toys for tho children was an excellent one, but surely the men were capable of making the toys themselves if the council provided the anatoriaL There seemed to be an impression abroad that the unemployed had only to wait and sco what the council would do, or what the member for the district would do. They had had the council's sympathy and the council's help, but seemed more content tq loan upon the council's acceptance of the-ir unfortunate position than upon themselves. Ho did not want to be quoted as being hard, but the thing was obvious: the men should do something for themselves. Councillor Toomath thought that the provision of toys was not the function .of the council. He was sure that ther.e were organisations in* tho town that would assist in raising funds for toys. As a means of keeping an accurate check pn the number of unemployed, Councillor V. A. Noble suggested that the men should register weekly. The Town Clerk (Mr. W. P. Sturman) said that would be impracticable. Hesuggested the showing of a notice to the -men asking them to strike their names off. the list when, they found employment. The Mayor1 said that the council would communicate immediately with the Minister of Public Work 6, tell him its desires, and see what he could do. Councillor Jaeobson hoped that the public realised the time and trouble given by the Mayor to help the unemployed. He suggested that the Mayor see the Minister. That would bo better than a telegram. The Mayor: "I'll make an appointment to-morrow morning." A PROPOSED COLLECTION. . A letter from Mr. W. Nash, M.P., gave details of a proposal to raise £■2000 in the Valley by voluntary contributions, the money, with £4000 Government subsidy it would carry, to be used for unemployment relief. Councillor Toomath did not think the Tosponso would be very great. Tho Laboar Party's recent collection for tho same purpose had been inado up largely b*7 tho generous contributions of two large companies. Councillor Jacobson- agreed. About £50 was all that the public had given to the Labour Party's fund. The Government was now taxing every man and undertaking the responsibility of finding work. The council should not undertake any more. The letter was "received," and Mr. Nash was thanked for his suggestion. Later in the evening Councillor E. T. Hogg, said that although he agreed that tlie.pr'esent was not th& time to ask the public for subscriptions, he thought it •would be worth while to ask. the sports bodies and clubs to assist, in a small way. If all helped, a good sum would be collected. The suggestion was adopted, and it was decided to write to all sports bodies inviting them to raise money by rauans of tournaments, etc.