ROUGH HABITS

Evening Star, Issue 20315, 25 October 1929, Page 4

ROUGH HABITS

COMPLAINT OF RELIEF GAMPS [Special to the * Star.’] AUCKLAND, October 24. A complaint that an undesirable class of men is sent to some of the Public Works relief camps was made this morning by an Auckland middleaged man who, having the misfortune 6 bo out of his regular employment, .as been engaged of late at one of le relief camps in the Hauraki Plains strict. He said that many of the men in the particular camp were of a very good lype, but their lot was made particularly hard by others, who were very rough in their habits. He added that lis experience of the particular camp was that the Public Works officials in i large of the job were good men, and Jiafc while the work was in progress .here was nothing to, complain of. i’he ood supplied was vei;v satisfactory, .fie trouoJe, he said, Hits ‘n connection with camp life itself. There was a class ot man who was a continual nuisance through cadging habits. Very bad language was often used, and where an hotel was in reach, some men would gravitate there any chance they had, and often return late at night to he a nuisance to the men who spent their evenings in the camp. The Aucklander who made the complaint agreed that the position was one of considerable difficulty, but he contended that the Public Works Department should be able to devise a scheme whereby decent men could band themselves together to carry out any particular job, instead of the present method, whereby men were selected indiscriminately and sent to relief works camps. “ 1 think a classification of the men according to their morals is impossible.” said an official of the Public vVorks Department, “ and it seems unnecessary. If a man has a lot of bad habits, tho rest of the men in a camp, will probably take steps to get rid of him, and such a type does not often last long. The average undesirable does not like work, and does not stay long, even in a relief camp. “It shoud be remembered that _ a certain standard of efficiency was insisted upon,” continued the official. Every opportunity was given to the men to enable them to pick their own companions, and they wero not forced to associate with men of an undesirable typo. The tendency was for the men to sort themselves. Tho attitude of the department was to insist upon the men doing their work properly, and it was impossible to lay down hard and fast standards how men should conduct themselves in their leisure time.