NEW 2YA STATION

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 113, 8 November 1935, Page 11

NEW 2YA STATION

AN ACCESS ROAD

A COUNCIL'S DILEMMA

The decision of the New Zealand Broadcasting Boaril to build a new 2YA ■station at Tituhi Bay led to the Makara County Council finding considerable difficulty in deciding on how certain necessary work should be done when an extension to Te Hiko | Street, Titahi Bay, was discussed today. The Street extension work is to be done by the Broadcasting Board and the council has undertaken to put in a culvert to provide drainage in a gully where the board will dump spoil when regrading the upper end of Te Hiko Street, .which is too steep to fit in with the proposed extension. ' The council's dilemma was brought about by the suggestion that as the work was necessary-it should be done at standard rates of pay. Several councillors were in favour of such a cpurse, r but, others argued th,at it would create- «: precedent and the council was not in a -to pay standard, rates for; .ail similar works., It was finally agreed that the work should be done, by •' unemployed men or by the" permanent staff. ' .". • . Councillor R.W. Bothamley; said the work -was a preliminary to the Xc Hiko Street-extension, which was being undertaken by the.Broadcasting Board. The chairman (Councillor R. G. Mexted) said the council had undertaken to-put in a culvert and it would only be a few days' work. Councillor Bothamley said that where works had to be done whether there were unemployed or not, the work should be done at standard rates' of pay. . . .. "CHEATING A PRECEDENT." The chairman said if the council paid standard, rates it would be creating a precedent. The unemployed were there and they would have to be put off if the work were to be done out of the county funds. Councillor C. H. Phillips said.he was in favour of doing permanent jobs, at standard rates of pay. ■ The chairman said the council might have permanent jobs without having the funds for the work and in that case they should get the unemployment subsidy. Councillor Phillips said if the work was necessary the men should be paid standard rates. The chairman said the county had been put to expense through the unemployed for years and other culverts had been put in where the work could not have been done without the subsidy. The council had been asked to find work for the unemployed, Councillor E. Windley said, and much of the work had been permanent. If they decided to pay standard rates for permanent work they would have 'to revise their finances. The council had a permanent staff and if unemployed men could not be secured the council's men should do the work. The chairman said the job would have to be done whether there were unemployed men available or not. Councillor Bothamley said much of the work done by the unemployed was permanent, but where the work was absolutely - necessary standard rates should be paid. The necessity for the culvert arose out of an offer from the Unemployment Board, the chairman said. What the board was going to do would mean a great improvement to the Titahi-.Riding., ~ v , ,-, .. . When it was suggested that the work should be done by the permanent staff, Councillor Bothamley said that was a matter for the foreman, but whoever did the job he wanted to see standard rates paid. ■ That would be introducing a precedent that would be very dangerous, Councillor Windley said. "We can't go' on subsidising -unemployed labour indiscriminately," he added. "It isn't this job: it is the precedent," said Councillor Phillips. "What happens at Titahi Bay will have to go on right through the county." Were some of the councillors afraid of offending the unemployed? he asked. It was not the fault of the county that its finances could not bear the burden of standard wages. The unemployed had asked for full-time work, but if the county could not pay the wages councillors should be prepared to say so. Councillor S. G. Luxton said he did not think the council should subsidise the. wages. ... Councillor Bothamley: Look at it this way: supposing there were no unemployed in the county. Councillor Luxton: It's 'no use supposing that. If there were no unemployed, said the chairman, the members of the per* manent staff engaged in supervising the unemployed works would be able to do the work. ' . '.'''■ Councillor Windley moved that the foreman should be instructed to carry out the work, with ..unemployed labour, and if there was any objection to that, that the work be done by the permanent staff. .".' '■.'•.'■ ' : This was seconded by Councillor Phillips and. carried. " ;