WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20263, 24 May 1929, Page 13

WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED.

HARBOUR BOARD'S HANDICAP

amendment of law urged.

[by telegraph.—press association.!] NAPIER. Thursday. The Napier Harbour Board to-day decided to approach the Prima Minister ■with a request to bring about an amendment of the law to enable harbour boards to borrow money without a poll for approved work for relief of unemployed, and to include harbour boards in the local authorities which may be subsidised for such work by the Government. Owing to the urgency of the matter the Prime Minister is to be urged to anticipate legislation and asked to indemnify tho board so that work can be put in hand this winter.

The position is that the board has certain reclamation and X'oading work to be put in hand and it is of a nature suitable for relief of unemployed. The board is anxious to do its share in providing employment. Last year the handicap imposed by law against harbour boards getting a subsidy for such work was overcome by the Borough Council doing the work on the board's behalf and receiving the subsidy. Efforts to revive this method have not met with success, and in any case tha board is of opinion that if councils are subsidised for such work there is no reason why harbour boards should not be. In reply to earlier representations by Mr. W. E. Barnard, 51.P., Sir Joseph Ward had expressed the view that the legal difficulty with the Audit Department might be again overcome, but in tho latest communication Sir Joseph Ward states definitely that the Government will not be able to grant a subsidy this year for reclaiming portion of Port Ahuriri lagoon, which is tho property of the Harbour Board, owing to the fact that tho Audit Department is not prepared to pass the subsidy under any conditions this year.