UNEMPLOYMENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16665, 25 September 1914, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT.

GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL BODIES.

DISSATISFACTION IN THE CITY

Representatives of local bodies met the Mayor (Mr H. Holland) yesterday, and discussed with him the Government's attitude towards the proposal that it should subsidise local bodies in carrying on work to give employment to unemployed. Those present were —Messrs J.'A'. Flesher (chairman of the Tramway Board), G. Scott (chairman of the , Heathcote County Council), S. A. Staples (chairman of the Waimairi County Council), W. Hill (chairman of the Drainage Hoard) and J. Brown (Mayor of Ricearton). Mr Holland said that it was unreasonable for the Government to ask one local body to spend money in another local body's district. It would be much better if the Government subsidised local bodies separately up to a certain sum. He had consulted members of local bodies, and they |iad agreed with him. It had been suggested that local bodies should combine and have overhanging rocks on the Sumner Road thrown down. Mr Flesher said that that was dangerous work, and would require skilled labour.

Mr. Scott said that the deviation of the Dyer's Pass Road, although in the Heathcote County, was a national work, and the Government and the local bodies might tairly combine and take it in hand. The scheme was to mako.a deviation from Victoria Park, for the sake of the Summit Road Association. It was not a district matter. The new road would benefit the city, because it would make the Summit Road and Kennedy's Bush more accessible. It was not fair to expect the Heathcote County Council to do the work. The City Council should give a grant, which should be subsidised by the Government. The chairman said that the City Council could not spend money out of the city.

Mr Scott said that it could give a general grant to the Summit Road Association, which could spend the money on the.-road.

Mr Staples said that four men had been put on to work in the Waimairi County. Most of the unemployed were in the city. Mr Flesher said that the Tramway Board could not do any moro than it was doing; it had forty-four men on works now.

Mr J.M'Combs, M.P., said that he' and other Canterbury members had waited on .the Minister and asked him to renew the offer of a subsidy. The Minister was disappointed in 'the response from the local bodies near Christchurch, but if they made a proposal that appealed to'him, he would probably consent to give a subsidy of about £IOOO. Dyer's Pass Road'and the Zig-Zag at Sumuer might be taken in hand. The Zig-Zag would cost £2500, and it was proposed to spend £BOO on the Dyer's Pass Road. The Government might give £1550 and the local bodies the same sum. The Lyttelton Borough Council might give about £3OO for the Zig-Zag. Mr Staples said that the Waimairi County Council could put work in hand at once if it could get a Government subsidy. The Government should take up general work, like the Zig-Zag. The chairman said that he could not look upon the deviation of Dyer's Pass Road as a national work. It was used by only a few people, not by the mass of the public. Mr Staples said that his Council could not give grants to outside works, such as the Zig-Zag and Dyer's Pass Road.

Mr H. Dickson, Resident Engineer in charge of Publit Works, stated that the Government could subsidise only work near Christchurch that would benefit the whole community. Mr Staples said there was plenty of work to be done, and the local bodies were willing to do it, but the Government said that the work proposed was not suitable for the unemployed.

The Mayor said that the Government had turned down a useful proposal by tho City Council. Fifty men who were almost starving were given work in that way. If the Council had waited for the Government, the men would have stnrved. The best plan now was to leavo the whole thing to the Government.

It was decided to adjourn the meeting till the following day.

SPREYDON BOROUGH COUNCIL WORKS.

GOVERNMENT CANNOT GRANT

LOAN

Mr G. R. Whiting, Mayor of Spreydon, did not attend tho conference, but he statod afterwards that he was surprised at the Government's action in curtly withdrawing its offer. He thought* that local bodies should be subsidised in order to carry out special works needed in their own districts. The Spreydon Borough Council had applied to* the Government for a. loan for some absolutely necessary work, including drainage, but after waiting for a long time, was told that tho Government could not give tho money. That was not a subsidy, but a Joan, on which tho Borough Council would pay interest. The Government's attitude was a very regrettable one.

MEN STILL LOOKING FOR WORK. Though the position of the unemployed has been relieved considerably, there are still men about who are looking for work, and one Labour man stated yesterday that the- position was hardly as good as it was the previous day. More men seemed to be about, and evidently they had completed work which had occupied them during the past week. Twelve men were sent to tho City Council yesterday by the Labour Bureau. They will be added to the workers on the Port Hills.