FINDING WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 130, 4 June 1931, Page 12

FINDING WORK

BOARD'S OPERATIONS

ALLEGATIONS OF WASTE

AUTHORITATIVE DENIAL

In the early stages of the Unemployment Board's efforts to assist the unemployed, immediate relief was tha essence of the schemes introduced, and because there had not been time to establish the complete organisation that now exists, it was inevitable that in some localities the work provided for the unemployed was of a more or less uneconomic nature. Critics of the board have not forgotten these early, incidents, and profess to see in later relief schemes evidence of continued uu. necessary expenditure.

Those critics completely overlook the outstanding facts that the inauguration of reproductive schemes to care for the whole of the unemployed men of varied ages and talents is humanly impossible. The Unemployment Board and the local committees recognised that fact when the list of workless men began to grow from thousand to hurrying thousand. But the board devised schemes that have placed thousands of men on the land, and other thousands at tasks o* considerable civic value, and its efforts have been efficiently backed up by the local committees and local authorities, which organised. and put in hand a tremendous amount of work of a distinctly _ necessary nature and of economic value. Here and there, on jobs that have been given to elderly men and those unused to manual work, there may be inadequate results, but the alternative is charitable aid, and only a small percentage of the uneniployed would prefer that. VALUABLE WORK DONE. The story of valuable work that has been done under the board's schemes is well told in a report submitted to the Manawatu Unemployment Committee by the secretary (Mr. J. Lowdon), in refutation of statements mad« in a newspaper to the effect that tha men working under the direction of tha committee had been employed on unproductive work, or work of an unnecessary nature. Here is Mr. Lowden's summary of conditions as they exist:— (1) As you are aware, there' are a number of drainage boards operating in this district upon whose activities the adequate drainage of the farms depend, and upon the proper functioning of such drains the prosperity of the farming community depends to a large extent, and all such work is therefore productive work. The number of men employed at this work is 379, and the whole of the cost of their labour is borne by the Unemployment Board, and to this extent the ratepayers are benefited.

(2) Highways Work.—There are 333 men already employed upon roads in this district (either main or secondary).

(3) Under the direction of the city engineer 173 men are employed in and about the city. The work is drainage, footpath formation, sundry work ou side channels, and working in the reserves of the city. It has to be recognised that many men now unemployed are not fitted or accustomed to heavy manual labour, and such persons must be given work within the scope of their physical .fitness. These men are therefore placed on the lighter work in the city, and are.perhaps more in the public eye than the fitter men, and are more open to unjust criticism. (4) Under the AVanganui Education I Board, who control the public school properties in this district, there are employed 146 men. The character of the work is the improvement of school properties, the cutting of trees for winter firing in the schools, and the providing of healthy bathing facilities. AH labour spent on such work is a community gain, and a saving of the cost to the parents, who, in the country; schools, are mostly farmers. . _ ■ (5) There are employed at Massey College about 18 men who are directly employed in experimental agriculture on flax plots, etc., and other special work. "The total number under No. 5 scheme is 1057. The number of married men with three or more children under 16 and earning 12s 6d on four days in three weeks only in each month is 161; the number of married men with not more than two children under 16 and earning 12s Gd for three days in three weeks is 527; the number of single men who are given two days' work and can earn 18s a week for three weeks in any month is 369. It is therefore seen that out of a total of 1057 men no less than 717 are employed in the city in.improvements at no cost to the ratepayers; 146 men are employed under the Wangjjnui Education Board on the improvement to public school property, the balance being employed at Massey College. Under No. 4a scheme there are employed upon' farms no less than 88 workers."

The report was adopted), the chairman commenting that it disclosed a verysatisfactory position.