WORK IN HAWKES BAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 93, 21 April 1931, Page 8

WORK IN HAWKES BAY

Referring to Mr.. L. D. Austin's letter in Saturday's "Post on unemployment and the rebuilding of the Hawkes Bay area, the secretary of the Electrical Workers' Union (Mr. H. E. Swindell) states that the matter was dealt with when a deputation to the Hon. R. Masters recently propounded a scheme whereby the area could be built for the least possible expense to the habitants with a small margin for overhead charges, thus eliminating profit so that there would be no undue charges for thosa affected in the stricken area. This deputation consisted of Mr. Cornwell (Trades Council), Mr. Butler, (General Labourers), Messrs. : Baker and Moulton (carpenters), and myself (electrical trade). "The scheme in our opinion was a good one, and we had the labour, also the captains of the'various industries and the Government to finance the job, and we could have used many of the employers who had been hard hit by the earthquake. The vast number of unemployed (single men preferred so as to make it a bit easier for the married men to stop where their homes were) could be scut up to tliis. area—and Mr. Austin is right, it would solve one of the most lamentable cankers of the. day. The work is 'there, and the people want,it done, and one must see the damage to'believe the enormity of the shake. However, our offer has not been met with much warmth from any quarter, and perhaps, Mr. Austin's letter, along with mine, may revive some spark to get things done, . . .So far the work has only been enough to put back into work men who were out in this district, and, of course, some strangers got in, bift.we want to see all local men employed first. . "We have hundreds, nay, thousands, ot first-class men out of work at the present time, and there are still many out m tho Hawkes Bay area. These towns must be rebuilt; there is no question about it and they cannot be left to lie and rot just for the sake of a lot of red tape. We know it is not a case of just sticking up buildings anyhere and everywhere, and there will be a lot of legal factors to get over, but that does not prevent the removal of the harrowing signs of desolation. The demolition should be gone on with, and where possible building operations- commenced. This case, in my opinion has nothing to do really with the board operating on the unemployed question, but if it will facilitate matters then give it the job of handling it, and the sooner tho better.

Other letters to the Editor are printed on page 14. '