MONEY WASTED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 13 December 1932, Page 3

MONEY WASTED

RELIEF WORK JOBS POSITION AT AUCKLAND AUCKLAND, 10th December. Revelations recently made regarding the wastefulness of a great deal of the udief work at present in progress in Auckland City and suburbs have called llie public attention to a stale of affair? that urgently demands remedy. The facts disclosed are only a fraction of the details that could be gathered, yet they show that Li. 6,200 which was raised by unemployment taxation has been spent on four relief schemes which private contractors could have completed for £3750. The opinion was expressed that until the Government definitely made up its mind to find useful and reproductive work for the unemployed waste and extravagance would be the order.of the day. Local bodies are hindered and balked at every turn by restrictions which prohibit them from employing men in useful directions. Either the work planned is held to be within the scope of their budgets, or the prohibition on the use of plant and equipment puts the scheme out of court. Relief workers know very well when they are contributing to a “white elephant,” which only the existence of the Unemployment Board’s abundant funds could bring within the realm of practicability. An Auckland business man suggested that the construction of the long-dis-cussed Auckland-Manukau canal was the type of work the unemployed forces of the community should be put on to.