UNEMPLOYMENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16666, 26 September 1914, Page 14

UNEMPLOYMENT.

IMPROVEMENT OF ZIG-ZAG ROAD TO LYTTELTON. GOVERNMENT RECOMMENDED TO SPEND MONEY. WORK MAY START SOON. Tire adjourned conference of representatives of local bodies and other public men, called to consider the unemployment question, was continued yesterday in the library at the City Council Chambers; present—The Mayor (Mr 8.. Holland) in the chair, Messrs G. W. Russell, M.P., G. Witty, M.l’., J. M’Combs, M.P-, G. Scott (Heatbcote County Council), S. A. ' Staples (Waimairi County Council), J. R. Webb and J. Norton (Lyttelton), J. J. Graham (Woolston), C. T. Middleton (Sumner Borough Council). G. R. Whiting (Sproydon), H. Hunter (City Council), H. Dickson (Resident engineer, Public Works Department), and A. Dudley Dobson (city surveyor).

Tho Mayor said that he had nothing fresh to report. Mr Dickson had assured him that the Minister would not subsidise local works. They must bo of a national character. If that were so, it would be useless for the various bodies to consider the expenditure of much money on works not of a remunerative character. He did not intend to proceed with the potato-plant-ing operations. It was costing about £2O to dig the land. When the present work wa« finished in tho course of a few days that would put seven men out of work. Mr M’Combs said that tho LyttoltonSumnor Road would cost £2500. It would give a good grade, not more than 1 in 12, aud really provide a road as originally proposed. ll© thought that it was a national work, and would suggest that the Christchurch City Council should provide £7OO, tho Lyttelton Borough £4OO, the Heatlicote County £3CO, Waimniri County £IOO, Sumner Borough £IOO, with £SO from each of tho - other local: bodios. That would give more than half the cost of the Zig-Zag, and, with the subsidy, would also allow of £IOOO being. devoted towards the cost of work on the Dyer’s Pass Road. Mr Russell said that with others he had interviewed the Minister of Public Works last Saturday. Matters were gone into fully and tho Minister was sympathetic, but he had only limited means at hia disposal. He understood the Minister to pledge himself to the amount of £750 or perhaps £IOOO, but stipulated that ho must first- approve of the work that it was proposed to undertake. Ho a.kod tho local bodies to mention some works of importance but made it clear that he would not. subsidise work in local areas which under ordinary circumstances would be done out of rates. Any departure from that course would establish a precedent of an undesirable character. Tho Minister wanted the conference to determine what work was of a national character and tho subsidy would be forthcoming. Mr Fraser stipulated that married men should bo given preference and that he .should first, approve of the work; both reasonable stipulations. Mr Witty said that the Minister wonld give up to £IOOO, but would not subsidise local works. He agreed with one delegate that the local bodies would prefer to spend their money in their own areas and relieve unemployment there. Tho roads mentioned by the conference were the road* mentioned by the Minister. Mr M’Combs said that the Minister had fiinco stated that under certain circumstances he would not stop at £IOOO. Mr G. Scott said that tho local bodies had applied for subsidies and had arranged to carry out work of a useful character but the Government would not assist in that wav. He must approve of. the stand taken by tho Minister in that respect. The ZigZa" and Dyer’s Pass Road were really national works.' The Government had subsidised work on them in previous years. The Heathcote County, he felt sure, would find £3OO for such a purpose. It, would be a burden but tbe county would oan-y it. The Dyer’s Pass Road passed through one ward of the county and the cost would fall heavily upon that ward. Mr M’Combs moved that the conference should recommend tho Government to sanction work on the Zig-Zag and spend £IOOO on the Dyer’s Pass Road., .

The Mayor said that this was a greater Christchurch scheme. He beTiered that it would be a good thing Ho hare a second line of communication with Lyttelton. Would it not be better for' the local bodies to go on as at present? Surely it was a strange thing for the local bodies to subsidise the Government.

In reply to questions Mr Dickson said that the Minister would go on with certain work even if the local bodies went on as at present. The Government would do certain work on Dyer’s Pass Road, but if the looal bodies were willing to provide money for work on both Dyer's Pass Road and the Zig-Zag it would not stop at a fow extra hundreds.

Sir G. R. Whiting seid that it would not be fair to ask the smaller local bodies to subsidise these works. It would be better for the Government to go on with the work. It was the Government’s duty to find work for the unemployed, not the duty of local bodies. Mr Norton said that the Lyttelton Borough Counoil looked upon the ZigZag as a road of great importance to Christchurch and 1 North Canterbury. He felt sure that the Borough Council would co-operate with other local bodies in the matter. The road was difficult because in the early days the Government did not complete it. In the port, steps were being taken to put certain work in hand, and there was not much unemployment in Lyttelton.

Mr Staple# said the Zig-Zag wa9 a most important road, and should be carried out by the Government. He could" nof pledge his Council. He would recommend it to "put certain work in hand at once. The Counoil had already spent £360. Mr Graham said the Woolston Borough Council had just put four men on, and there were many awaiting employment.. The Zig-Zag was not in a safe state, m ' Mr Middleton said that the Sumner Borough Council was employing more men than ,7 under ordinary circumstances, would' have been on the pay sheet. The amount paid out in wages was greater now than at any time during the past twelve months. He fait cure that the Council would favourably consider the proposals regarding the Zig-Zag. Mr Webb advocated the claims of the Zig-Zag as a. national work. Four-fifths of the cost would go for labour. It was a Government work. The Mayor said it would be better to ooncentrato on one work. Already the City Council was committed to certain 'expenditure to meet unemployment.

Mr Hunter said that the problem was one for the Government. The Government should levy a war tax. -The motion was withdrawn in favour of the following moved by Mr Russell “ That the conference recommend the Government to sp3nd any money available for the unemployed upon the Zig-Zag Road between Sumner and Lyttelton, on the following grounds:—(l) The work is a national one; (2) it would provide a new means of communication between the

whole provincial district and the port; (3) it would be ol assistance for defence purposes.” The Mayor said that the Government should do the work. If the local bodies sat tight the Government might be forced to carry out tho v.onc. II it was in Auckland the Government would do it. Mr Russell said rails were coming to the Government from all parts of tho country. It had to face a heavy expenditure due to the war, probably £3,000,000, and at the present time it was impossible to raise a loan on the loan market. Tho motion was carried unanimously, on the understanding that the Government would provide a subsidy for the completion of the work, and the delegates undertook to bring before their Councils the matter of making grants on the following basis: £ Christchurch City . . . 500 Lyttelton . . . • 350 Sumner .... 160 Waimairi County . . . 100 Woolston . .. . • 50 Automobilo Association . . 150 Total . . . . £1250 The Mayor was asked to forward the recommendation to the Minister. AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION TO ASSIST. Speaking to a reporter yesterday Mr F. W. Johnston, president_ of the Canterbury Automobilo Association, said that the matter of contributing to tbe cost of the Lyttelton-Sumnor road must corao before tho committee. He felt sure,' however, that the Association would stand by the offer it made to the Lyttelton Borough Council some time ago. Speaking from memory lie thought that the Association had undertaken to pay £l5O or £2OO towards the cost of re-grading the road, and it intended to pay' the amount in annual instalments/ It might be possible, in view of the circumstances of tlie case, for the Association to make its payments at shorter intervals, but he. felt sure that the Association would do what it could to assist tlio local authorities. YESTERDAY’S UNEMPLOYED LIST. Yesterday there were fifty-six single men registered at the Labour Bureau as out of work, and 124 married men or single men with dependents. On Thursday twelve men were sent by the Labour Bureau to the city engineer, who found work for them on the new approach to Victoria . Park. Yesterday four men were taken on. Some of the men were sent to work at River Road, Fislierton, and some to the potato-planting work at Leinster Road. UNEMPLOYED FUND. The following contributions havo been received towards the UnemployedFund:— £ s. d. City, Council Employees’ third contribution I . . . 714 2 Linwood . . « .16!) St Albans .' . . . 11-10