MARRIED MEN'S CAMPS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 67, 21 March 1933, Page 8

MARRIED MEN'S CAMPS

THE DUNEDIN. SCHEME

For about a month married men's camps have been established in.^he Dunedin district. There "is one in the Upper Shotover Valley Eoad, employing thirty men. A similar camp is established at the Coolburn Dam.

The position,'as stated by the Unemployment Board, Was that there was difficulty in finding suitable employment for married men, and arrangements were made by the ?üblic Works Department to set up camps, at standard wages of 10s a day, or £3 a week, full time being worked.' In cases where the relief worker was able, to show to the satisfaction of the local officers of the Labour Department that he was unable to go to camp for family reasons, he was exempted. If a man, for reasons which were considered insufficient, refused to proceed to the camps, where the wage of £3 per wenk closely approached the current rates in normal industry^ he remained in Dunedin. and received only 50 per cent, of the No. 5 Scheme payments. In selecting men for the camps preference was given to those with dependants, but any married man was eligible for camp. Many of the men to whom the work was offered resided at St. Kilda, where the difficulty in providing suitable work was most accentuated. In addition to giving these men work, it was felt that the local bodies were being relieved to some extent. . '