PORT CHALMERS COMMITTEE

Evening Star, Issue 20853, 24 July 1931, Page 9

PORT CHALMERS COMMITTEE

The Port Chalmers Unemployment Committee met yesterday afternoon. Cr W. Lunn was in the chair. The Mayor said there had been u good deal of misconception in regard to tho Sawyers Bay men being employed in Port Chalmers. "While their allotment was being .drawn in Port Chalmers it was only right the men should get work there. Those who moved that the men should not be employed in tho borough were barking up tho wrong tree. There should have been no difficulty about the Sawyers Bay men workhig in Port Chalmers while there was plenty of work to be carried out. The Inspector stated that the men employed on the water reserve were good workers. Mr Roberts raised tho question of preference to watersiders. He could not see why the unemployed should be divided into classes. A man’s need was tho main thing. Tho Mayor said tho board had made special arrangements for watersiders. Mr Roberts: It is a pity a question of differences should bo raised. The watersiders wore as much entitled to relief work as any other unemployed men. The Inspector said there was no preference for watersiders. The Chairman .said he had never stated that the watersiders got preference. Mr Roberts said the claims for relief work word-based on necessity. Ho only wanted to,seo it clearly stated that A

.there was no preference for anyone. The Clerk said that there were 212 unemployed registered this week in the borough and fifty-four residing outside the borough. Last week the estimated expenditure was £409, but only £249 was received from the hoard. It was stated that men who missed employment any week on account of a shortage of money from the Unemployment Board, such men could not make up the time afterwards. In’ case, however, of men who lost time through broken weather such lost time was made up later.