RELIEF WORK

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 79, 15 March 1934, Page 8

RELIEF WORK

ALLOCATION OF FUNDS Uniformity for All Districts DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, March 14. relegates at the annual meeting er the Municipal Association of New Zealand at Wellington to-day discussed at length unemployment problems with a view to forming a deputation to the Prime Minister and Minister of Employment for the purpose of asking for uniform relief allocations for all districts. Borne delegates objected to the conference as a whole being asked to eupport the deputation, as the main complaints came only from certain districte. By a narrow vote it was decided that the deputation should be representative only of delegates who considered themselves concerned in the problem. Mr I. J. Bridger, Mayor of Eltham, said that in various parts of New Zea land there was a great disparity in relief allocations, and suggested that the conference should make this the subject of a full deputation to the Prime Minister. He found that on the weekly rate of four weeks’ work in a month, A class men in Patea had been receiving 4/8 and those in Marton 11/3. Both were nral districts and icnditions in each were almost exactly the same. In another North Island district A class men had been getting 11/3 a week, while in part of the South Island they averaged £1 7 9J. Class C payments ranged from 15/- to £1 13/-. “Those are very serious differences,’’ he continued. “It is creating a growing dissatisfaction among the unemployed.’* Mr Bridger proposed as a resolution that this conference views as serious end as decidedly unfair the present disparity in allocations, and asks the Un employment Board in a deputation for

a uniform system throughout New Zealand. CHRISTCHURCH OPINION. i The Rev. J. K. Archer, Christchurch, eaid that if there were to be any alteration in payments it should not be to , bring better-paid men to the level of the lower-paid ones, but the other way •bout. That was the opinion of the < Christchurch City Council. Mr J. Jackson, Mayor of Gisborne, ■uggested that the conference should be unanimous in telling the Government that the time had arrived when it should consider raising internal loans •nd starting all public works that were necessary during the currency of the loan. The unemployment levy could go •n and its receipts would increase under the increased industry. Mr J. Miller, Mayor of Invercargill: That is the soundest proposal we have heard put before us. It does not seem that the Unemployment Board is dis posing of its funds to the best advan Uge. The chairman, Mr T. C. A. Hislop, Mayor of Wellington, said that there must be some difference between the re quirements between, one district and •nother. He did not say as much as. 4/•nd 15/-, but rents varied for one thing. WOULD NOT FEEL JUSTIFIED. “I do not think it is right for the whole association to be drawn into this. A very large number of us would not feel justified in going with the deputation,’’ he said. Mr J. V.’. Grecnslr.de, Mayor of Greymouth, slid that there should not be any parochial idea about the discussion or an attempt to make it a town versus country issue. Those who were getting more ghoild not hang back from those who were getting less. Mr Hislop said that those who were dissatisfied with their allocations should form the deputation among themselves They would have good support. Mr H. L. Harker, Mayor of Waiioa: If you let the cities gracefully retire and' let the smaller places carry the baby, it will be very unwise. By 48 rotes to 41 it was decided to give those who wished to join in the deputation a free hand to do so inde pendently of the conference as a whole. The depu-ation will probably take place to-morrow. WORK ON SCHOOL”PROPERB By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, March 14. A resolution of protest against the removal of men employed under the No 5 scheme from work on school grounds was carried by the Christchurch School Committees Association to-night. The resolution declared that the men were doing work on Government, prop erty and their removal would embarrass school committees already seriously hampered in the matter of finance, and that the work done by relief workers was of a kind which could not be carried out with the decreased Government allowances.