CENTRAL PARK PAY

Northern Advocate, 6 May 1930, Page 9

CENTRAL PARK PAY

RELIEF KATES DECIDED UPON. The Whangarei Borough Council last evening 1 dualised a question which has caused considerable discussion at the table and through the Press. The Legal and Finance Committee recommended that a letter from Air .J. H, Brown, .one' of those who had been employed, objecting to the rates of pay on the. Central’Park job, be received and no action taken. Cr. Brake moved that the.usual Borough rates be paid to employees on Central Park. In a nutshell, the position was, ho said, that relief wages had been paid for ordinary work. Cr. Piekmero seconded. The Mayor said that to make a retrospective payment as suggested would involve £4l. The 'chairman of the Works Committee, Cr. E. Gr. W. Tibbits, who had been absent when the matter was previously discussed, said that at the. time the men had been taken on the Borough was • employing workless turn about so as to give all a. chance to earn, relief money. At the Labour Bureau a large number awaited employment, anil (lie engineer went through tin; list selecting the .men for Central Park, while the. others were ottered work at N gun guru. Cr. Brainshy said that if the council paid full rates for the job, it would ■mean that it could not in future undertake relief works, for at the conclusion of. each job, the workmen following the precedent established, would request full money. It would be a dangerous principle to adopt, and would mean shutting the door to the needy who preferred any employment rather than. none. Had the application ennie from the men at the beginning of the work no doubt the nuthbor employed would have been cut down. The work was one of those actuated by a desire to assist those in adversity. Cr. Brake agreed that in certain eases halt’ a loaf was preferable to no bread, but contended that the work in question had come about as a direct mandate from the people, who desired certain improvements to be carried out ar Central Park without any suggestion that the men engaged should be given relief rates. At the same lime other relief works proper, on which tlfc Government subsidy wn« payable, were proceeding. The Mayor asked the council to consider the .matter in the. light in .which

it, had arisen. At the time many names were upon the Labour Department's, files for employment, and .after those for Central Park were taken .off, oyer DO remained. It was a very significant fact, he considered, that during' the 13 weeks of their employment not one of the men had raised a protesting voice against the rates of pay. Personally, he had .always been opposed to cutting wages, being of the opinion that cheaper labour meant cheaper work. There were many now, who would welcome . the opportunity to earn 14/ daily, which at the time, was all that the Borough could afford. The motion was lost; only the mover and seconder voting in. favour and the report adopted.