UNEMPLOYMENT

Northern Advocate, 24 June 1932, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT

ACCESS ROAD. GE ANT 'AUTHORISED."" ; (Per Press Association. —Copyright.) • WELLINGTON, This Day. ■lt . was announced -yesterday ; by tin Minister of Employment, the ..Rt;-Hon. .1. ;G; Coates,-: that the Cabinet- has-ap-proved the. release for Wellington City unemployment relief purposes of the balance of £13,000 unexpended- from the loan previously authorised for the Sydney Street Cemetery, western access road. Mr Coates said his action -would be validated by legislation next session.

CO-OPERATIVE PLAN. CONTRACTS ON FARMS. POVERTY BAY EXPERIMENT, - : GISBORNE; This Day. A system of co-operative contracts on farms .for unemployed workers has been devised for the Hangaroa-Tahora area under Public Works Department supervision. At present it is regarded more in the nature of an experiment, to be extended to other districts when success is achieved. Already 20 men are on farms in the Hangaroa-Tahora area, and 20 or 30 more men will be sent next week. The scheme was framed after settlors had made representations to have in operation some plan which would benefit them. They complained that ,lf over the fence ’ ’ work under No. 5 scheme did not’ help them, in view of heavy transport costs, ’and they required some scheme whereby men would remain on the farm, or at least in the neighbourhood, for some time, so as 'to minimise transport costs, which became prohibitive when the men had to be returned to town each day.

Under the scheme, a group of farmers, under the supervision of the Public AVorks Department, and with the sanction of the Unemployment Board, agreed to take a number of men on the co-operative contract basis.'' The endeavour' is to secure groups 1 large and compact enough to warrant ‘the employment of Public AVorks ment. supervisors. Ratcs'iof pay. under the contract system arc designed to enable single men to earn £1 10/ a week, and married men £1 17/0 a week. The • farmer is expected to have the men insured and to arrange transport. AVhile in the Hangaroa-Tahora area, farmers have-, agreed to allow men their meat, and have also arranged to accommodate the men • in-tents and huts hired from the Department, or in shearers* quarters or other station buildings. The work will bo mostly scrub cutting and pulling of young manuka, while a little fencing-is also provided for, as well as draining and creek clearing;; ‘ *