MEN FOR ODD JOBS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20244, 2 May 1929, Page 14

MEN FOR ODD JOBS.

RELIEVING UNEMPLOYMENT. NEW VICTORIAN SCHEME.. [from our own correspondent.] SYDNEY, April 38. A plan calculated to bring about a measure of relief from unemployment, which has just been put into practical shape in Melbourne, seems to bo working with every success. Even Sydney is interested—and Sydney is not always interested in things that originate in Melbourne. The Melbourne scheme is worked through the Lord Mayor's Unemployment Relief Committee, on which are representatives of benevolent and charitable institutions, the Trades Hall, the Salvation Army, different churches, Toe H and similar bodies. It has formed a section called the "odd jobs bureau." It has branches in every district and suburb to enable unemployed men to register for employment in their own locality. Tho central committee has appointed a number of employment scouts, who, acting in conjunction with tho central and locnl bureau, scout from house to house with the idea of securing odd jobs or permanent work for the men in their own district. Unskilled labour is offered at 2s an hour, and skilled i 3 offered at the rates provided in the awards.

Operations covering fifteen weeks show that in that time the committee secured 11,200 jobs, representing 26,500 days' work, or a wage valuo of £18,600, at a total cost of £2OOO. But against the £2OOO expenditure were wages amounting to £ISOO, paid to the employment scouts,, who thomselves were drawn from the ranks of the unemployed., Thus the committee was able to socure work worth £18,500 at an executive cost of £SOO. At the present time the bureau is securing jobs at the average rato of 1000 a month. The committeo does not claim that the odd job bure.au solves the unemployment problem. It is regarded merely as a palliative, but. as against the sustenance system it compels the individual to work instead of breaking the mainspring of personal endeavour. A member of the committee said that nothing gave the work such a setback as the backwash ol a strike. Immediately a strike commenced the bureaux closed their books and refused to register any moro applicants for employment. Their efforts we.'Q confined to securing for genuine unemployed at least three days' work a week, and so enabling them to earn enough money to buy food for thomselves and their families. lie could say that 98 poi cert, of tho unemployed were genuine cases and in many instnncos fine types of workers.