WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 14

WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED.

MEN ABSORBED BY STATE. THOUSAND REGISTER JOTAIi* OF 5664 ENGAGED. OVER 7000 STRUCK OFF LISTS. [BY TELr.GKAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Friday. 'A statement concerning the Government's efforts in the rolief of unemployment was made in the House ol: Repre- ' sontatives to-day by the Hon. G. W. •Forbes, on behalf of the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward. "Fivo weeks ago to-day the Prime Minister indicated to the House that the 'Government was in a position to promise that, by the. end of October, all genuinely unemployed in the Dominion would be offered employment, provided they registered at Government labour bureaux ~ and were willing and able to accept tho .work ofered to them," said Mr. Forbes. -•'This promise has been fully redeemed. "Government labour bureaux v?ere inundated with applications for employment 'Mfter the announcement by the Prime Minister, and during the present month there were 10,691 new registrar t iioos throughout the Dominion. Applications pending at the bureaux roso rapidly from 2<166 011 September 30 to 640? on October 16, but since then there has been a .similarly rapid reduction in unplaced applicants, duo to the largo number of men who have. been provided with Government employment, lapsed applications' . and men placed with local bodies / - and private employers. Although applications ponding throughout the Dominion now to : :al 2299, only 100Q of these are prepared to accept work anywhere it is available." - . . Summary ol the Position. Following is a summary of the statistics quoted by the Minister for the Do- "" miaioii, the Auckland figures (which are included! in the general return) being also shown:— Dominion. Auckland. { Registered on Sept. 30 2,466 853 Registrations, in Oct.. .. 10.691 2,776 Forestry employees* .... 775 Totals • ... .. 13,932 3,629 Employment provided— Govt, works .. 4,360 1,113 • Local hodiea and others 529 235 J ' / 4.559 1,378 Applications lapsed -1-223- 1,34S Unemployable .. .. 562 • 304 , - Refused work .. .. 1,179 400 Retained on/ forestry* . 775 .On register . Oct. 31 .. 2,299 199 of Forestry Department who haii finished season's work and were retained, The Minister stated that, of the 2299 applications now pending, only 1000 are prepared to- accept work anywhere. A large proportion of these arc being placed to-day and-to-morrow and the remainder •will all be offered work early next week. The Auckland return shows that the number on the register at October. 31 included 131 prepared to accept work anywhere. y •/' Necessary "Works," Continuing the Minister stated:—"The Cabinet Committee has met practically every day. During the first week it put into force a schedule of works which provided for . the employment of 1820 new men' on the construction of railways, rojds and main highways, land drainage, improvements to open lines ol: railway, pkinting and thinning of State forests, and in several workshops of the Railway Department throughout tho Dominion, anil the retention of 775 seasonal workers . by the Forestry Department. "During the second week another schedule of similar works, .providing for the employment of a further 1776 men, was set in motion. ' At subsequent meetings three other schedules of similar works were drawn up. These, with the first and second schedules, made provision for" the employment of a total of 5330 new men and the retention. of 775 men by the Forestry Department. In those five schedules provision was made for the employment of every man registered at the Government bureaux as at the 26th instant who was willing to accept Government work anywhere it was availableRegistrations have increased, however, and ono the/' schedule of work has been authorised.

"Works which are being undertaken ate necessary developmental works which would ltavo to .be undertaken in the near future, and are now being carried out earlier than would have been the case but for the necessity-of providing employment for' a large number of men.' The Government had only a very limited amount of ■work available near the main centres of population, and men for various reasons could not see their way to leave their homes in towns for work in the country. ' The' committee,, in arranging the several schedules of work, only sanctioned useful -and necessary works, which would /entail 'the least amount of travelling and consequently expense to the men, and for that rea.son the works are fairly evenly distributed throughout the Dominion. - , The'' System of Wages. '.'A special effort has been made in regard' to tradesmen. A la.rge number (approximately 300) has been engaged by the Railway Department, which was in a position to absorb more if certain classes of tradesmen' had been available. This has had -the effect of curtailing to some extent the number of unskilled men taken on by that department, as a balanced staff of tradesmen, and unskilled workers is essential in railway workshops. In addition, the preparation of plans and specifications and the invitation of tenders for numerous ne\v departmental buildings distributed throughout the Dominion, and involving an expenditure of approximately £150,000. have been expedited in order that further work may be available in the ■ - near fu.turo for men connected with .various building trades. ■"Tradesmen who are being employed at t.hisir trades are being paid the departmental rates of wages for those trades. Unskilled workers who are employed on day work are being paid the standard •wziges of 14s a day, and placed on / co-operative,, contract, the contract rates which tire being paid are such as would enable a man of fair average ability working industriously to earn 14s a day. Inexperienced men are allowed up to 14 days on day wages before being given co-oper-ative contracts. Instructions have » heen issued/that the living aqcommodnf"y of the men is to bo made as comfortable as the localities in which they are working will, admit." / Seasonal Work Problem. After providing lengthy details of additional Jispects of the position the statement continued to refute the suggestion that men were to any appreciable .extent leaving farm work to obtain employment on relief works. It further expressed the viciw that the country would bs satisfied as to the v,alue being received for the money expendod on relief works, as the greater portion of the work was undertaken on tho co-operative principle, and the men were paid by results and the •work was property supervised, whether on : day work or the co-operative contract. The Minister added: "A prominent factor in the problem is the seasonal nature - ni' many occupations in the Dominion. . This throws on the market a large num- . heir of , workers in the winter months, and ' it is H matter of importance that the activities of the community, bo:th public 1 and private, should be reorganised to procure ft more even, distribution of employjmemfc throughout the year."