The Unemployed

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 204, 12 August 1927, Page 3

The Unemployed

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE. THE LATEST MOVES FOR RELIEF. Relative to the unemployment in Hastings, several small things were mentioned at the meeting of the Borough Council last evening that showed that much was being done to relieve the distress in the borough. A telegram was received from the District Engineer of the Public Works Department to the effect that tiho Government would provide a £ for £ subsidy up to £4OB with respect to wages based at relief work rates the works to be put in hand under the conditions as already set out in circulars governing the relief for unemployed. The Mayor intimated that he was still awaiting a reply from the Prime Minister in respect to the council’s request that the Government subsidise the amounts contributed. HELPING RETURNED SOLDIERS. The Hastings Returned Soldiers’ Association advised that it had received £BO from the Canteen Trust Funds Board, for the employment of out-of-work returned soldiers in Hastings. It was recommended that the borough undertake the expenditure of this amount, and the association asked that it be subsidised. "I move we accept the offer and that we grant a subsidy of £1 for £1 up to £BO, our portion to go first towards the cost of the material and also that we apply to the Government for a subsidy on the amount,’’ stated the Mayor. Cr. R. Baker: There are 25 returned soldiers’ on the council’s list of unemployed. The motion was carried. THE RELIEF GANG’S WORKS. Reporting to the Works Committee, on the unemployment relief works, the Borough Engineer (Mr C. E. Evans) stated that the allocation of the men to various works was being attended to by Cr. R. Baker. Two gangs were engaged on concrete footpaths construction; 22 men were being employed on general borough work; while 14 men were employed in the reserves; and 15 men on loan paths. Cr. Baker had also managed to find temporary employment for 16 other men, making a total of 67. Since commencing work the following paths had been constructed:— Fitzroy Avenue: King street to Nelson street south side. Kitchener street: North side. Duke street: Tomoana to Grays road, north side. Pepper street: Gordon road to Joll road, west side. Joll road: Pepper to Townshend streets, north side. The for mation of the roadway in Mr Wright’s subdivision had been coin pleted, except for the metalling, which would be more satisfactory if done in the spring. The parking place for cars in Caroline road had also been ploughed and widened and a coating of 15 yards of shingle had been spread.