PROVISION OF WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20736, 2 December 1930, Page 13

PROVISION OF WORK.

LOCAL BODY SUBSIDIES.

qFFER MADE BY BOARD.

CONFERENCE IN AUCKLAND.

APPEAL FOR CO-OPERATION

"As the Unemployment Board has been sitting for only four days, we hardly knrfw our jobs yet and we cannot spend money very freely, but we are here to answer any questions and to clear up any misunderstandings which may exist," said Mr. G. Finn, a meipber of the Unemployment Board, who, with Mr. O. Mcßrine, another member, conferred with Auckland local bodies yesterday. They discussed particularly the details of the board's offer to give up to £25,000 by way of subsidies on works undertaken to relieve distress at the Christmas season. There was an attendance of about 50 local body representatives, the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. G. Baildon, presiding. Although the board had met for the first time last Tuesday, and scarcely knew yet what it would be able to do, Mr. Finn said so many urgent appeals for relief had been made that the board decided something would have to be done immediately. It might take two or three months to Irame the regulations and policy by which the board would work; meantime, the £25,000 offer had been made. The board had no organisation other than its own members, so it had been decided to ask the local bodies to assist by taking advantage of the offer of £25,000, which would be given as a £2 for £1 subsidy on capital or special maintenance works.

As Auckland had a larger number of unemployed than any other part of New Zealand, it followed ■ that Auckland would need the largest share of the £25.000. He was not in a position to say, however, what amount would be allocated to this district until the board had considered the applications later in the week. He hoped it would be possible by mid day to-day to sanction some subsidies on works in various districts. A Sympathetic Board. " I would appeal to local bodies to be to our virtues ever kiud and to our faults a little blind," continued Mr. Finn. "The Minister of Labour is very keen and anxious to do all he can, and so far he has been doing it. You have a very sympathetic Minister and I think I can say you have a very sympathetic board. The board wants to set up as little organisation as possible, as it does not want to spend funds in paying officers' salaries. We want to do the bulk of tho work through the departments already established."

Now that the board had been properly constituted, Mr. Finn hoped all references to "relief work" would be dropped. There had been .some criticism with regard to the rate of pay being 14s a day, but it was not the duty of the board—it was not so stated in tho Act, at all events—to fix the rate of wages; that was for the Arbitration Court. The duty of tho board was to find work. Through stress of economic circumstances men had been "squeezed" out of employment, and no opprobrium should attach to men who accepted work provided bv the board. " We are not here to decide anything, but we want to get your mind on the question of the offer of the £25,000 .and on other matters, and to take your representations back to the board," said Mr. Mcßrine.

Answering questions, Mr. Mcßrine said the board could not subsidise any wages higher than 14s. a day, but a local body could pay as much as it liked above that amount. All labour required would be taken through the labour bureaux, but he assumed that, where money was raised in a particular locality, residents in that locality would have preference of employment. That seemed to be only fair. ' Question of Sustenance. -Mr. J. Hislop, acting-Mayor of Devonport : Will the board pay out money without any work being done? Mr. Mcßrine: We can only work within tho provisions of the Act. The main function of the board will be to provide v.'ork, but the Act also envisages the payment of sustenance without work. At the moment the board has no machinery for paying sustenance. Whether the board will begin the payment of sustenance as quickly as possible is a matter of policy which has not yet been laid down. No one would be. willing to .see people starve because work could not be provided for them. Continuing, Mr. Mcßrine said, at an optimistic estimate the unemployment levy would produce £675,000 a year. The whole cost of registration and collection had to be set against the first year's levy, but it would not count as expenditure and would not be subsidised. If the board spent £600,000 in its first year, that would earn a subsidy of a similar amount.

" The relief of unemployment cannot be left to eight men in Wellington," said Mr. JJcßrine. "It is* necessary for every citizen to keep his shoulder to the wheel 63 much as ever befo.-e. There can be no diminution of local effort for the present at, least." Cost to Ratepayers. The suggestion that the board ought to make special grants without asking assistance from the local bodies was made by Mr. E. H. Potter, flavor of Mount Eden. A district of 20,000 population would possibly contribute £9OOO or £IO,OOO in unemployment levy, and it did not seem fair to ask them as ratepayers to pay another 6s 8d in the pound to obtain Iho beard's subsidy. "Quite candidly, I do not think the board can give such grants," replied Mr. Mcßrine. "There would be an avalanche of applications. If we had the money tJie position might be different." It was pointed out by Mr. Finn that in addition to the £25,000 offer the boa.rd Was willing to subsidise works organised by local committees at the rate of pound for pound on wages. Mr. T. Bloodworlh asked what proVision would be made for the man who could hot pay the first quarterly levy of 7s (3d. It had been stated that only contributors would benefit under the Act.

Mr. Mcßrine said the question of exemptions from the Act had not been considered by the boaid. It was true the Act said a map could not draw smtenar.ee tinle.ss he was a contributor, but Mr. McBrine did not think the same condition applied to a man who was unable to pay being given wor(j. '"ls any part of this subsidy to be made available for labour in the country ?" ftsked Sir George Richardson, president of the Auckland branch of the Returned Soldiers' Asociation. Private Employment. Mr. Mcßrine said 110 part of the £25,000 Wotljl lje available for that purpose. The board was considering recommending t.he Minister of Finance to give a certain limited sum to finance private employment on a pound for pound basis. Sir George Richardson : It is just as important to help the small farmers now as it is to and employment in the cities.

Mr. Mcßrine: The board exists primarily to help the unemployed. It mig.iit be possible a little later to help both in the cities and in tha country.

Referring to the proposal to subsidise work organised by local committees Mr. Finn said it was for the people to get busy., Given that co-operation he was convinced such work as gardening, clearing sections, repairing fences and so on, could bo I'aU-nd in sufliciunt quantity to ajisorb many men. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Finn arid Mr. Mcßrins, who left for Wellington last evening to attend a further bieeting of the board to-day.