A COMPARISON

Hokitika Guardian, 19 February 1932, Page 3

A COMPARISON

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF. CHRISTCHURCH AND DUNEDIN

DUNEDIN, February 17

Investigations made by the Mayor (Mr R. S. Black) show that statements that unemployed are not so well treated by' the Dunedin City Council as by the Christchurch City Council are not borne out by facts and figures as supplied to Mr Black by the Christchurch Town Clerk. .. >

“Owing to the greater number the Dunedin City Council is employing it is costing considerably more in overhead expenses for gangers, tools, ami, cartage than it would if we paid 14s a: day and reduced the number to the Christchurch figure,” commented Mr Black. “Then, of course, there would be a bigger percentage of men gettiim nothing at all. The figures show that compared with our returns the Christchurch Council is employing only a very small proportion of unemployed.”

Mr Black stated that between January 30 and February 13 the Dunedin Council was finding work for ,1241 out of a registered number of 2710, while the Christchurch Council,... a? a letter from the centre showed, employed on an average for the past few weeks ,only 637 out of a total number 0f.5101. The allocations were as follows: January 23, £I3OO to the Christchurch Council as against £1546 to the Dunedin Council; January 30 £I2OO as against £1630; February 6 £1235 as against £1520 “The efforts of the Dunedin Council,” concluded the Mayor, “compare more than favourably with '(those of the Christchurch Council, despite the assertions that because of its, Labour majority Christchurch is d°i*ig more lor its unemployed than we are.”