UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

Northern Advocate, 20 December 1928, Page 8

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

OR ANT OR SUBSIDY. MAYOR SEEKS INFORMATION. (Special to “Northern Advocate.”) AUCKLAND, This Day. A request for official information concerning the provision of £2OOO by the Government for the relief of unemployment in the city, and also for advice as to ■whether the amount will be paid 'by way of subsidy, or as a grant, was contained in a telegram fonwardqcL by the Mayor, Mr G. Baildon, to Sir Joseph Ward yesterday. ■lt was suggested to the Premier that if the money was given as a grant, it should be available for relief works before Christmas, but if it was a subsidy, it could not be utilised until after proposals and plans of work had been approved by the Public Works Department],! involving delay until after the holidays. In view of these circumstances It was asked that the £2OOO be made as a grant. . SUBSIDY TO CITY COUNCIL. HITCH IN PROCEEDINGS. (Per Press .Association. —Copyright.) WELLINGTON, This Day. There is a hitch:in the acceptance of the Government’s subsidy of £2OOO for unemployed in Wellington as it involves the City Council in raising a loan of an equal amount. The Mayor has informed Sir Joseph Ward that the council had already made provision for £IO,OOO during the past month and a further loan was impossible. The Mayor states that the Council has already raised £35,000 for unemployment works this year, which is more than any other centre has done, and he did not feel that he could call on the council to raise any further, sum. . „

TROUBLE! OVER CONDITIONS,

GOVERNMENT VOTES SUBSIDY.

CHRISTCHURCH GIVEN GRANT.

(Special to “Northern Advocate.”) AUCKLAND, This Day.

'■‘This is not much good in helping us to find work to assist the unemployed before the Christmas holidays, ’ ’ said the Mayor, Mr (3-. Baildon, yesterday, in commenting on the reply he had received from sir Joseph Ward to a telegram, forwarded the previous day, asking for official information concerning the payment of £2OOO to the city for unemployment relief. The Mayor suggested that it should bo. made in the form of a grant, rather than a subsidy. The reply stated that assistance for unemployed twill take the form of a subsidy on l approved works, on the lines of past subsidies, but will be based on the Government standard rate of wages, viz., 14s per day. The reference in the Premier's telegram to the payment of the standard rate of wages would cause a difficulty. The City Council now had 150 men on relief work at 8s and 12s per day, the majority receiving 13s, because of being married or having dependents. “I understood (Sir Joseph Ward to say that standard rates were to be paid only in the country, and this is going to create a lot of trouble," stated Mr Baildon. He said that if the £2OOO was made available as a grant the city could do what it liked with the money .and there would be no difficulty in ’starting new works immediately. It seemed unfair that Christchurch should be given a grant and that the offer to other cities should be made contingent on finding a similar amount. “We have always had a subsidy for relief works and there is nothing new in the latest offer," ho concluded.

Later in the day the Mayor sent the following telegram to the Prime Minister: "Am afraid conditions will prevent full benefit being derived immeately. Moreover 14s per day will seriously disturb matters as we have ISO men working at 12s and 9s per clay. It is understood that standard rate was to apply to country -workers only. Still consider grant preferable for immediate help,” A number of unemployed waited on the Mayor yesterday asking for information as to the work that night he made available through the iGovernment’s offer, but as Sir Joseph Ward's reply had not been received, the Mayor was unable to assist rhem. The deputation calls again today.

The three Auckland Lab (fur members sent a. telegram to Sir Joseph Ward this morning which read: “Pleased to receive your advice that £2OOO available to relieve unemployment. Regret, however, about 800 men and families disappointed at delay over conditions, Cannot you do something to facilitate matter and relieve desperate conditions existing here. ”

CHANT AUTHORISED.

PROMISE OP REFORM CABINET,

(Special to "Northern Advocate.”) AUCKLAND, This Day.

Before the Reform Government resigned it authorised a grant of £IO,OOO to the Auckland Hospital Board to recompense that body for money it has spent on extraordinary relief of unemployment.

The late Cabinet's decision was conveyed to the board yesterday by the Director-General of Health, The chairman of the board, Mr W. Wallace, said the grant was made in accordance 'with the promise given by the Rt Hon J. G. Coates. It reflected credit on Mr Coates that he had played the man and kept his promise to the board.