AID TO UNEMPLOYED

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 10 November 1933, Page 7

AID TO UNEMPLOYED

LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN DRAINAGE OF NAPIER iLAGOON. BOARD’S £50,000 ADVANCE SCHEME OF REPAYMENT (By Telegraph—Press Association.) -■ NAPIER,- Nov. 10. Approval has been givenby;; the Minister of Finance, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, to a proposal of the Napier Harbour Board for the development and settlement of the Ahuriri—lagoon of 750 Q acres. Advice has been received by the chairman of the board, Mr T. M. Geddis, from the deputychairman of the Unemployment Board, Mr Jessep, tbat the Government is willing to provide an amount of ',up to £50,000 for drainage and settleitteiit of the area. V

The scheme provides for The' .drainage of the Ahuiniri lagoon of-7500 acres which was raised seven feet by the earthquake and for the development of the land with a view to cutting it into small farms on which unemployed men and the-ir families will be settled. A large, portion of the land is already high and "dry, while the remainder is under one or two feet of water. Analyses which have been made by Mr Aston, chief chemist to ‘ the Department of Agriculture, have proved that the soil is composed of elements whieh- make it eminently suitable for cultivation along certain lines. The scheme is the subject .of ail agreement between the Niapier Harbour Board and the Government. The Government is to take a leaise of the area and is to advance £50,000 for developmental work. This w-ill include draining, reading, fencing, sowing and the erection, of v hppa§§ . fqr,, ,tife_.praispective tenants. -The-settlers,- who w-ill be chosen from the ranks of the registered unemployed, will pay rental to the Government and the revenue thus derived will be devoted towards the redemption of the original advance of £<50,000. ■ Wheirrthe 'aim; of; "£50,000 has been repaid the agreement between the Government and the Harbour Board will again come under review.

Besides providing permanent homes and a livelihood for a large number of workers and (families, the scheme' will give much employment in the prepare tion of the land, .its drainage . and development. A heavy proportion, of the estimated cost of development will be for labour and the execution of the scheme is expected to be the means of lpaterially easing the unemployment situation in Hawkers Bay, 1 i

“STARVATION POINT” REACHED*

PROTEST AT ELTHAM.

At the monthly meeting in Eltham this week of the Eltham Unemployment Relief Committee strong criticism of the reduction in the allocation' to relief workers was made by the chairman (Mr. Ira J. Bridger). He commented that married men with two children were allowed only £1 Is lOd a week and married men with three children and over only £1 11s lOd. He said that was “starvation point” and asked how married men with families could be expected to live on such a pittance. It W-as pointed out that the reduction was principally due to the diversion of a large amount of the fund§ to' the No. 10 building scheme »

The chairman added that it was scandalous. He urged that the committee join in the general protests that were being made throughout the Dominion. If they took it without protest the allowances would be cut down still more.

Mr. Jones (certifying officer) 'said the board could not allow any greater amount unless there was. an increase in taxation.

It was decided not to pass a resolution as it was considered useless to try to move the board in , the matter. The chairman also referred to * the refunding of any unexpended balances of allocations at the end-of each week. He considered this was very unfair find that anything over should be divided among the men. Mr. F. Muggeridge replied that the matter was entirely in the men’s own hands. If they would only all turn up on the day ? they were supposed to start work all the money allocated would be expended:- ' *