Back Debts Responsible For Reduction in Work

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6630, 18 August 1931, Page 5

Back Debts Responsible For Reduction in Work

GOVERNMENT DID NOT BUDGET . TOR ENOUGH UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE’S CONTENTION Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., presided at yesterday’s meeting of the Palmerston North Unemployment Committee. Thero wero also present Messrs. A. E. Mansford (Mayor), Jos. Batchelar, D. Collis, B. J. Jacobs.' J. Hodgens, A. J. Graham and J. Lowden (secretary). The chairman asked the secretary to explain why it had been necessary to reduce the four-day men to threo days, and Mr. Lowden stated that it was intended to help as many men as possible with the funds available. It was recognised that all married men, whether they had dependents or not, had ccitain Used liabilities such as house rent, lighting and firing, and these had been assessed at approximately 30/ a week. Sufficient funds had not been avauabio and, as a result, all four-day men had been reduced. The Mayor: As far as the men and their dependents are concerned, it is a move in the wrong direction. Somo of these men have five and six dependents. . . . The secretary: I have made inquiries and have found that some of the _married men, those with children working, aro better off than tho single men. The chairman: Tho allocation is £50,000 a week and there are 50,000 out of work. There is not sufficient in the fund. How are they going to provide work for everyone? It cannot be done, though the advent of seasonal work will relievo the situation to a certain extent/* Mr. Batchelar: Thero m nothing certain about that. Mr. Mansford: Tho authorities aro looking for troublo in asking these men to carry on on £1 S/1 a week. Mr. Graham: The troublo is that the Government has not budgeted for enough. Mr. Hodgens: The secretary is receiving instructions from headquarters. Where does this committee stand if it does not approve of thoso instructions? The chairman: Leave the matter to me, and I will endeavQur to get the Commissioner to reinstate that fourth day. Mr. Mansford (to Mr. Lowden): If you were given approximately £125 a week more, you could meet the position without taking off that extra day? Mr. Lowden: Yes. The chairman: The whole troublo is that the board is trying to make up the money over-spent. Question of Transport

The chairman reported that he had interviewed the Minister threo times last week with reference to transport, but had been advised that the board had not yet discussed tho matter. Ex-servicemen and Relief Work Mr. Jacobs, oh behalf of tho Palmerston North branch of the R.S.A., formally entered a complaint that ex-ser-vice men taken off City Council jobs had been refused work under the No. 5 scheme until they had fulfilled the 14 days’ qualification. Mr. Jacobs intimated that tho Labour Department’s attitude had come in the nature of a surprise to him. as the ex-service men concerned had been employed by the City Council under an agreement entered into with the E.S.A., the association subsidising the work out of its own funds. These men had been taken off the City Council jobs to make room for others, but on applying to the department for work under the No. 5 scheme they had been advised that they would have to wait 14 days before being eligible. He had got into touch with the Unemployment Commissioner and had receiyed word that ex-service men were not required to stand down for the 14 days. Asking the committee to investigate the matter, Mr. Jacobs observed that it appeared the R.S.A. was really penalising the men by endeavouring to help them. He;added: “It has cost us £4OO to subsidise this work, but it would have paid us better to have kept the money and distributed it £1 at a time.” Mr. Lowden explained that though iie had been, expecting advice about the matter for a month, it was only that morning that he had received the necessary authority to give these ex-service men relief work without imposing iUt 34 days’ qualification. He assured the chairman that the fault did not lie with the local office sud that until that morning he did not havo tho authority to put ho men ou. He also stated that tho men would lose nothing by the delay. POSITION OF R.S.A. MEN. The president of the Returned Soldiers’ Association wrote to the City Council last night stating that at a meeting of their unemployment committee it was decided to request the council to consider the employment of complete new gangs to meet tho unfortunate demands-for work that are being made on the association. With regard to subsidy he pointed out that never in tho history of the scheme had it even been suggested that the subsidy granted by the council should be for anything but labour. . It was agreed to adhere to the arrangement previously ipade with the association, viz., that the council grant a subsidy of £2 for £1 in respect of the sum of £4OO to bo contributed by the association towards payment of wages to ex-service men employed by the council, and that the cost of materials shall not bo taken into account. The association is also to be advised that the council regrets its inability to grant any further subsidy during the present financial year. With regard to employment of new gangs, the engineer reported that he had already taken action in the matter and a fresh number of men had commenced work.