WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20793, 9 February 1931, Page 17

WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED.

'BOARD'S NO. 5 SCHEME.

[HUNDREDS TO START TO-DAY

LOCAL BODIES' OPERATIONS

SUM OF £150,000 AVAILABLE

The N r °- 5 scheme of the Unemployment Board will bo brought into operation to-day, £150.000 having been provided by the Government for expenditure* by local bodies. Theso bodies are entitled to employ wen at wages not exceeding tho standard r „]jef rates, and preference, is to bo given to those who have t ho greatest number 0 f persons dependent upon them, who ar o to have up tu throe or four days' work a \\eok. ' \bout 200 men will bo employed by tl, o Auckland City Council immediately, and it > s expected that within a, few days about 400 men will bo employed by it under tho scheme. Tho works upon which they will bo engaged will bo formation at Craigavon Park, further clearing fef scrub in tho Domain, and provision for the planting of native flora, Lrse-grnbbing at Lako Waiatarua, Epsom Domain and' Western Springs, and .topdressing at the Windmill Road reserve. The Auckland Transport Board expects to find work for another 200 men, who W }ll he engaged upon repairs. Tho Auckland Electric-Power "Board will find cmjjoymont .for between 30 and 40 men. Suburban Authorities' Plans.

At Takapuna tho authorities aro undertaking a general clean-up of streets and footpaths. Their .scheme will provide work for all fho unemployed men in that borough. All th G hands available will 1® engaged to-day, and it, is expected tJiat. within a fow days about. 100 will bo participating in the benefits of the. scheme j n the marina suburb. Tho New Lynn Borough Council has :in sight tho employment, of between 50 .and 60 men, who will work on tho clearing of reserves, and tho-improvement and formation of roads. The Mount Roskill Ro?d Board will engage men who present themselves, and employ them in goise-cutting, waterworks, extension and path iormation. Other suburban bodies have similar schomes in hand. Conditions of ; the Grants. The conditions of the grants under No. 6 scheme aro set out by tho chairman of tho Unemployment Board, the Hon. 8. 6. Smith", as followsßriefly, it has been arranged that (1) A single man will receive two days' work a week; (2) a man with a wife, or a wife and one dependant under 16 years of age, fhreo days' work each week; (3) a man with a wife and two or more dependent children under 16 years of age, four days' work each week; (')) a widower with dependent child or children under 16 years of age to bo treated as a married man. Wages aro to be paid at (he ruling rate for the f.vork undertaken. Tho -wage for local body labourers varies in different places, ond the wage-rate under this scheme will vary accordingly. If any work involves skilled labour governed by awards, the award rato must be paid: but the board's subsidy in no caso will exceed the amount operating on Government relief works, the difference in wages to be made up by the local body in cases whero the award rato is higher than tho Government relief work rates.

BOARD'S NO. 2 SCHEME.

CASE OF ALLEGED ABUSE. FARMER IN CANTERBURY. A glaring case of attempted abuse of the Unemployment Board's No. 2 relief scheme has been brought to the notice of the board. The essence of the scheme is that tho rate of' pay shall be fixed by employer and employed, tho board's subsidy not to exceed 7s a day, and the prospective employee to bo registered as unemployed. In the case under notire, a farmer in Canterbury applied to tho local committee for-permission to'employ a man at 7s a day to grub gorse and broom and do improvements to the farm for a period of a week to 10 days. Tie added that he had a man, in view and knew his capabilities. An officer of the Labour Department made inquiries, which aro said to have revealed that the man in view not only was not unemployed, but was actually under engagement at 'lie time the application vas made. The'officer further ascertained from the worker himself that lie was usually employed by tho farmer at 12s per day.

TRAMWAY DISMISSALS.

FORTY MEN AFFECTED.

NO MORE WORK AVAILABLE. Following upon the completion of the tramway extension works afc .Richmond Road and Sandrihgham, about 40 employees of the Auckland Transport Board ■will be without employment. Notice to effect was y given to the men concerned oil Fridav.

When the matter was referred to the tramway manager, Mr. A. E. Ford, last evening, he stated that there was no possibility of employing the men when there was no work for them. The Kichmond Road work had been completed on Saturday. and it, was expected that the. Sandringham extension would bo opened early this week. In consequence, the men had been given a week's notice. However, they would be absorbed again when the board weiit on with its extension schemes.

At, present the board was far ahead with its projects, awl it was likely that there T.-ould he an interval before the work at ftVest End Road was commenced. TE AROHA DISTRICT. NUMBER, OF MEN ABSORBED. [.Br TELE'; r Arn. own cor respon dent. j ' TK AROHA. Saturday. At a. meeting of the Te, Aroha Unemployment Comnrittec it was decided to take advantage of t lie hoard's No. 5 Scheme by granting authority (o (lie Cemetery Board to proceed with ils improvement .scheme. Applications were received from the; Ifinigahunga, Elstow "nd Waitoa Drainage Boards for a miniher of men, and the Piako County Conn<"il applied for 20 men. In all cases the work was agreed to.

PROVISION AT WHANGAREI,

SCHEME FOR ROAD WIDENING

[by telegraph.—own correspondent.]

WHAXGAHEI. Sunday

The Wliangarei County Council has decided tto place 40 men at work under the No. 5 scberne. Preference will be Riven to married men with families. Tim will consist of road widening, and, in-order to avoid the necessity of maintaining two homes, the men will be. transported to and from the work each day by motor. The scene of operations is about eight miles from the borough, on the Whangarei-Oakleigh highway. The w erk will bo commenced on Monday Jnorning and will continue until March 21.