FOXTON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 142, 18 May 1932, Page 2

FOXTON.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) FOXTON, May 17. Airs 11. AI. Klein, of Palmerston North; is visiting her brother Airs S. E. Cowley, of Foxton. Aliss L. Baucldiam, of Park Street, is on holiduy in Christchurch. Aliss R. Buuckham is spending a holiday in Pahiatua.

Tho usual fortnightly meeting of the Foxton Unemployment Committee was presided over by tho Mayor (Mr Porreaip. An application was received from the Manawatu Kabbit Board for men to carry out noxious weed eradication in tho board s district, permission for which had been granted by tho Unemployment Board. It was stated that tho board was not prepared to pay transport, but intended drawing its men from the localities where the work would be undertaken. Mr Owen pointed out that' tho committee boundary was Himatangi and there wore few relief workers in that particular locality. As particulars regarding tho request were meagro, and as it was considered inadvisable to grant, permission if it meant taking inen off the drainage work, tho request was held over until next meeting. Twelve new applications for relief work were received and eleven approved. At last night’s meeting of the Unemployment Committee a letter was received from tho Unemployment Commissioner in which ho stated that it had come* to the notice of the board that work on private property by relief workers was not always carriod out in the spirit of tho instructions and that in some cases men had been supplied to farmers who were in a position to pay for some or all of the work. While the board did not insist that payment should be made, provided the work was genuinely additional on the property, still the committees wore asked to investigate all cases and. to see that farmers were not supplied with men if they woro well able to pay for thoir services. The scheme, it was pointed out, was not for the benefit of tho farmers, but for the benefit of the unemployed.—Tho chairman (Mr Perreaul said that evidently it was tho committee's duty to see that the men received furthor payments than tho amount of tho relief paid by the board. Mr F. Shaw said tho circular cleared up a point which had been the cause of a good deal of argument. Whon tho committee made allocations to local bodies members were under tho impression that they had no furthor interest in the men allocated. Tho lotter clearly indicated that this was not the case, however, and if the local body plaood any of its men on farm work it was tho duty of the committee to find out the circumstances. —Mr Trueman stated that there hod been no abuse of tho scheme in this district, but in certain other parts it was reported that thero had been. Tho certifying officer said that as far as the Manawatu County Council was concerned thero was nothing to worry about there as their weekly quota, was a mere bagatelle.—Tho letter was received. Holding that, as unemployment taxation was Dominion wide, and that where increased registrations were shown increased allocations wero made by tho Unemployment Board to the local committee concerned, the Foxton Unemployment Cominittco had no authority to impose a residential restriction of three months on relief workers seeking relief work locally, a letter was read at last night’s meeting of the Unemployment Committee in which tho commissioner stated that any residential clauso in excess of 15 days was not allowed.—The chairman said that it had been tho experience of the local committee that the allocation had not been raised in accordance with the incrcaso in registrations add that was why the three months’ residontal clause was adopted.—Tho secretary suggested vyriting to tho. commissioner informing him that the men will not be given work until the extra allocation is received. He was opposed to tho removal of tho residential clauso as the resources of the local bodies were already badly strainod to keep the local men going, and, if an influx of outsiders was permitted, ho did not know how the local bodios would bo ablo to keep going.— It was decided that tho commissioner be informed that now arrivals in the district will not bo given work until tho increased aV ocation in connection therewith is received by the committee. The certifying officer agreed to keep a separate list of new arrivals to bo forwarded weekly to the copimissioner for this purpose.