THE NO. 5 SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 138, 13 June 1931, Page 14

THE NO. 5 SCHEME

CITY WORKS BOUND UP STATEMENT BY THE MAYOR • The Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) stated to-day that the carrying on of tho present city relief works, giving employment for over 1800 men, depends upon the continuanco of the No. 5 scheme, and that if that schemo is to be suspended on 20th Juno the men will be compelled to apply to tho Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, as tho corporation has no funds available. "The question of carrying the unemployed under the No. 5 scheme by the City Council," said Mr. Hislop, "was raised in connection with tho estimates. In view of the difficult, financial position of the corporation and its severely iurtailed resources, it became necessary aa4 it was decided to entrench upon the funds of the Electricity Department for the purpose of carrying on the scheme, and so enable the" very large number of men who would otherwise be entirely without work or means of subsistence to be employed. It was decided to set aside £10,000 for this purpose, but this amount applies simply to the cost of. supervision, insurance, and materials necessary for the .work, the whole of tho wages being paid by the Government under tho No. 5 schemo. This amount of £10,000 would probably have enabled the scheme to operate till the end of August, when fresh arrangements would have to be considered. MEN EMPLOYED, 1872. "For the week ending 6th June," continued Mr. Hislop, "there were employed by the Corporation under tho No. 5 Scheme 435 men by the Reserves Department and 1437 men by the Engineer's Department. The Corporation was thus enabled to provide work for 1872 men. If the scheme is stopped by tho Government on 20th June these men will be thrown out of employment. It is quite impossible for the Cor- ' -poration to employ them. It has not ! ,lhe means to do so. The only pos- ! sible way by which these men. can be '••"■ given work is by the continuance of P j-the No. 5 Scheme. WORK OF DOUBTFUL VALUE. '•"It may be pointed out," continued M*. Hislop, ' "that the' restrictions •wluoh ■ the Government imposes upon work which can be done undor the scheme have led to m6st of the work " doii c being of a.type that is not really nectary at tie present time, and whi< sh in the ordinary course of events woiild' not have been done for some ■ yeai s, if at all. Consequently the scheime is open to the suggestion that it let ids to uneconomic work being per- ' formed. This objection can be overcome if the Government, should the scheiito be renewed, would remove some of these restrictions and allow to be done work .which is reasonably neeesBary a t the present time, but which is not b«;ing done'nor contemplated because -u>£- the financial position to-day. "It must be remembered that this year tV-e income of the Corporation for general purposes will be approximately only & 230,000, which is £70,000 less than was actually expended last year. It can therefore readily be seen that if Borne, of tho restrictions at present affecting: the No. 5 Scheme are removed . the gap between the money we have for general purposes and tho amount that was actually expended last.year •would M> partially ■ bridged by the carrying on of works of real value, instead at our being compelled to do ■ work undlur the No. 5 Scheme of doiibtfuT economical value to the community. CHARITABLE AID. "Unless the scheme can be kept going," concluded Mr. Hislop, "all the 1872 men at- present on city relief works will ■ bo compelled to resort, for bare subsistence for themselves and their families, to applying to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board for sustenance, .and the cost of this will in its turn be reflected in additional charges upon the city next year without any work having been done to show for the cost incurred."