RELIEF WORK

Evening Star, Issue 22083, 17 July 1935, Page 14

RELIEF WORK

MINISTER SEEKS INFORMATION WORKING OF NO. 5 SCHEME Have any local or national assets been created by relief labour? This was the question asked in a letter which the Otago University Council received yesterday from the Minister of Employment. The letter stated that the Unemployment Board was anxious to secure for consideration, in conjunction with any new relief measure which might be adopted, the views of employing authorities as to the value of local or national assets created by relief labour under No. 5 scheme since its inception. The letter from the Minister also asked for information as to the nature of jobs, the amount spent, and the employing authority’s valuation of. the work done. In view of the national importance of the problem it was hoped bodies would give their co-opera-tiou in compiling the information. The Chancellor (Mr W. J. Morrell) said the council’s employing of relief labour had been on a very small scale. Mr F, W. Mitchell said it could scarcely be stated that they had had any assets created by relief labour. The Registrar: Some useful work has been done.

Mr Mitchell: Yes. Useful work has been done on the tennis courts and on the grounds, but we could scarcely say that was creating assets. The formulating of a reply to the Minister’s letter' was left to the registrar.