UNEMPLOYMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 April 1933, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT

SMALL FARMS SCHEME

[PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.!

W’ELLINGTON, April 10

Mr J. G. Coates, commenting on the Small Farms Plan, said: The results of the experience of past months have been most gratifying. Some 750 families have actually been placed on the land or are in the course of taking up their sections. These had little or no capital, and yet, with scarcely any exception, the reports show they are doing well, and completely satisfied. The experience has certainly showed the possibility of settling families on more limited areas of land than has been widely supposed necessary, namely, a minimum area of some hundreds of acres.

At the moment, Mr Coates said, the markets for most of our products were in a depressed and unsettled state, but these discouraging conditions would not last. Despite the talk of the surpluses and the socalled overproduction, it. was clear that the people of the world stood in need of more products than we could supply. In extending the small farm plan, particular attention was to be given to utilising the existing services and Departments of the Government. The Lands Department would be directly responsible in the acquisition and disposal of the land. Offers of land might made to the Lands Department, the Commissioners of Crown Lands, and the Department’s fields officers, as well as to the Department of Agriculture, whose officers would continue to be associated with the small farm plan. Applications by registered unemployed persons desirous of taking advantage of the small farm plan were to be addressed, as hitherto, to the Officer-in-Charge of the Labour Department, or to the Certifying Officer under the Unemployment Board.

PHYSICALLY UNFIT MEN. WELLINGTON, April 7. The Hospital Boards’ Association and the Unemployed Board have come to an understanding regarding their respective responsibility towards the granting of assistance to those unemployed men who are more or less physically unfit. The agreement was reached at a conference presided over by the Minister of Employment, and attended by the Minister of Health. It was agreed that the following classification of unemployed men and definition of responsibility for assistance should be adopted. (1) Hospital Board Doctors examining, at the instance of the Unemployment Boai'd’s local officer, any unemployed man who claims to be unfit for ordinary relief work, should endeavour to classify each examinee definitely under one of the followingclasses: Class A: Men fit for any work in any place. Class B: Men fit for light work only. Class C: Men unfit for work of any kind. It is to be borne in mind in examining men for classification purposes that, the great bulk of the work available is manual labour.

(2) Men in classes A and B will be recognised as the responsibility of the Unemployment Board. Men" in Class C. will be recognised as the responsibility of the Hospital Board. (3) Where the medical classification is doubtful, and for this, or any other reason, the responsibility i s disputed, a prompt endeavour should be made to settle the question, the Hospital Board being recommended to afford any necessary relief meantime It is recommended that in the larger cities a Standing Committee be set nnM° J f ,roiaptl - V int ° in dispute, and to decide the classification.

BLEDISLOE APPEAL FUND T , . AUCKLAND, April 11. tn l ledriled that Gie initial response to the Governor-General’s winter relief appeal has been most promising. In addition to promises of money many undertakings have been received to supply live-stock and other foodstuffs.

1 he mailbag at Government House is exceptionally heavy, and to date about hOOO leters and telegrams have been received.

An Australian visitor has given dCS( in recognition of the* kindness he rc reived from the New Zealand prop! during his holiday.

ti. " ' o GREYMOHTH COMMITTEE. A meeting of (jie Greymouth Unemployment Committee, held yesterday was attended by Messrs J. W. Greenslade (chairman), A. A. Adams, and A. J. Fairmaid. Fifteen cases of distress were considered, and small parcels of groceries were granted to each applicant. The donation of an I.A. waggon of coal, from the Castle Point Company, Dunollie, was acknowledged with thanks. It was decided to send a letter of appreciation to West Coast. Amuse-

ments, for financial assistance. It was reported that information regarding the Greymoutb boot-repairing-depot had been forwarded to two towns in the North Island. These enquiries were made as the desuit of references to the depot by Mr Jessop, Deputy-Chairman of the Unemployment Board. '