RELIEF CAMP AT KARIOI.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 244, 14 September 1932, Page 2

RELIEF CAMP AT KARIOI.

MEN DENY ALLEGATIONS. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Enclosed is a copy of a letter received from the unemployed relief workers at Karioi Relief Camp. I will be obliged if you will at their request arrange for the publication of this letter in your correspondence column. Thanking you in anticipation.—l am, etc., W. H. CAD WALL ADER. District Inspector of Factories. Palmerston North, September 14, 1932.

No. 4 Relief Camp, State Forest Service, Karioi. September 10, 1932. To the Chairman, Unemployment Committee, Palmerston North: Dear Sir, —It lias come to my notice that an ex-member of this relief workers’ gang, who ..left this camp in a perfectly friendly way to go to a more lucrative position, has on his return to Palmerston North stated to the Unemployment Committee that the conditions of this camp were appalling and that dysentery was rife. I understand that these statements wero discussed at tho recent meeting of your committee and as being part of the report of the above meeting were published in the Alanawatu papers. I would bo pleased if you would give this letter the same publicity. I wish, sir, on behalf of my men and myself to refute these statements, as they are without a semblance of truth and liable to do our camps a great deal of harm.

The forestry camps here are something more than camps; they are a home away from home, and the least suggestion as regards the comfort of the men is carried out immediately.

This particular camp which is cited as having such appalling conditions consists of six whares and a six-roomed house —the cook house. Each whare lias a stove installed, while the cook house lias a benzine lighting installation, hot and cold water, a porcelain bath, and a wash house. The food is very good —12s per week per man being allowed for mess. Lastly, the sanitary conditions are all that could be desired. If you would publish this letter I feel that it would counteract any bad feeling caused by the above misstatements against a service that is doing its utmost to make the lot of the men working here easier and happier.—Yours faithfully, (Sgd.) E. R. BLAKE, Foreman. Signed also by G. Polkingliorne, W. Cook, D. Stuart, AV. Davey, H. A. Aleiligan, L. Garmonsway, I. Williams, H. Archer, A. L. Parkes, H. H. Ford, G. Barlow, W. J. Frew.