UNEMPLOYMENT

Evening Star, Issue 20780, 30 April 1931, Page 14

UNEMPLOYMENT

CITY COUNCIL DECISION MEETING OF LOCAL BODIES TO-MORROW The question of the City Council granting further relief for unemployment under the new No. 5 scheme was the subject of a lengthy discussion in committee at the fortnightly meeting of the City Council last night, the f6l- ■> lowing motion being carried—“ That the council instruct the Works Committee tq employ 500 married men per day under the No. 5 unemployment scheme, and that all corporation departments be asked to report to the meeting of local bodies to be held to-morrow what they can do towards providing employment for single men.” It was decided that a telegram ba sent to the Unemployment Board asking it to approve of providing work for fifty single men to be absorbed by the reserves department as a supplementary vote to the current week’s work. In view of the cost of supervision and material, the council will be able to employ approximately only 800 men out of the total of 2,000 unemployed, in Dunedin. With a view to enlisting the assistance of other local bodies in .absorbing the remainder, the local Unemployment Committee has called a meeting of representatives of all local bodies in the Town Hall at 3.30 p.m. to-morrow, when the matter will, be fully discussed.

HOSPITAL BOARD'S POSITION STRONGER ACTION BY MAYOR SUGGESTED A large number of single unemployed men again visited the offices of the Otago Hospital Board to-day, most of t hem having been sent there at the instigation of the mayor (Mr li. S.Black, r --y': Mrs Macdonald, a member of the board, was present when some of the men arrived, and took the opportunity, of addressing them to explain the position of Ahe board. She told the men that the members of the board and. staff were most sympathetic, but that it-was not the function of the board to provide work for the unemployed. The mayor was continually sending men to the Hospital Board - instead of taking tome action himself. As chairman of the local Unemployment Committee, Mr Black had power to recommend tbe provision of work. Tbe position was perfectly clear, as the secretary of the local Unemployment Committee had advised the secretary of the Hospital Board that morning that, if local bodies could 1 find the work, then the Unemployment Board was not placing any restrictions as to the extent of woric and payment for same. Therefore, money was available to pay for work, but the work was not available in the meantime. “Itis up to; Mr Black, as chief magistrate, to see that work is provided,” continued Mrs Macdonalds If the board gave the men the sustenance asked for by the mayor, it would not be assisting them to improve their position. If work could not ba provided, it-was ’surely the duty of the mayor to make an effort to have sustenance paid as provided for under tha Unemployment Act, instead of asking local bodies to do so. The committee could surely _ find some necessary work, such as Leith protection or.the'' formation of a civic golf course. In any rase, Mr Black, as chief magistrate, should force the position more in his representations to the Prime Minister and others concerned.