APPLICATIONS REFUSED

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 10 March 1934, Page 4

APPLICATIONS REFUSED

LAND SETTLEMENT SCHEME HAWEEA RELIEF WORKERS. HON. EL A. RANSOM SYMPATHETIC The position of three Hawera unemployed who' had unsuccessfully applied for inclusion in a land settlement scheme at Pio Pio was placed before the Minister of Lands, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, at Hawera last night. It was stated that the only reason the men had been debarred was because they could not be accepted in a camp with city men, as the latter were being given a higher rate of pay. The Minister agreed that country men had more orosiiect of becoming, .successful settlers than city men, and promised to assist the men as far as possible. The three men had applied for inclusion in the Pio Pio developmental scheme, but had been turned down because country men could not bo pernlitted to be in a camp with city men, who wore getting a higher rate of pay,, said Mr H. G. Dickie M.P. That was the only ground for refusing them. They were practical men who were.much more, likely to make a-suc-cess of farming than city men. • They wished , to ask the Minister if he could do anything towards securing them an area of land to enable them to out of the unemployed ranks. Ihe Public Works Department had stated that difficulty was experienced in starting the camp, and all the men in the camp were from Wellington. The position was that country men could not enter the camp, and they were not receiving fair treatment. The trouble in laranaki was to find land for such men, and it was only on development schemes such as at Pio Pio that they could be placed. . . Mr Ransom .said the Unemployment Board was supplying the men. At-one time the board could not secure sufficient men, hut finally had sent oO from W Mr U J to B. Campbell isaid the whole position centred round the differentiation in the rates of pay for city and country men. It woiild be admitted that country men. used to farm woik, would have an infinitely better chance of making a success of farming than city men, vet because of the wage difference they were debarred from securing sections. It was h most un i r rvosition and. a definite li and reap. fa "lS'd W much like to see «.oh schemes manned by country men, said the Minister, “as they are more likely to succeed.” The Unemployment Board had stated that the men drafted to Pio Pio had drifted into the town from the country. He fully appreciated the position and was most anxious WnTe 8 SITS It!U on their behalf.

CHECK TO MISUSE OF SCHEME. NO MAINTENANCE WORK SUBSIDY. DECISION OP THE BOARD. (By TelegrapD —Tress Association.! WELLINGTON, March 9. In conformity with a new policy excision of the Unemployment Board no unemployed men will be supplied m future for maintenance work of ain k *Th e official view at Wellington is that the question raised is one o. principle and represents a definite departure from the allowance of what almost amounts to misuse o relief labour by local authorities—in fact, the use of Telief .labour for the carrv uig on of the ordinary functions of loc-a employing authorities. It is conceded that some local bodies, in fact most .f them, have strictly observed the line of demarcation between their own responsibilities and t}ie case of unemploveil labour. “It will be obvious,’ said an official, “that the extent to wlre-n rehe. labour is used to carry out- the ordinary work and functions of local employing authorities is the extent to which normal labour employed undot normal conditions is displaced. I; r board’s policy as an alternative is definitely in the direction of using it 4 funds'in such a wav as to assist local bodies to proceed with necessary standarcl or development works for which the- are unable out of their own funds, revenue or loan money to meet the fid! cost. It is the board’s desire to assist these works to proceed, and it w always readv to help- in the way o subsidy calculated from the point of view of the financial necessity, in order to bring about the employment of competent workers at full time and at standard rates of pay. Only by such measures, it is contended., can industry be rehabilitated in normal conditions. A’nv other policy defeats its own ends.”