HELPING THE WORKLESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20794, 10 February 1931, Page 15

HELPING THE WORKLESS.

BOARD'S NO. 5 SCHEME.

IEMPLOYMENT IN AUCKLAND.

START MADE YESTERDAY. NEARLY 1000 MEN PLACED. Nearly 1000 men' with two or more children were placed in employment yesterday in the terms of the Unemployment Board's No. 5 relief scheme, which has now begun to operate throughout the Dominion. The Labour Department in Auckland, which has responsibility of finding work in this city, hopes by the end of 'next ■week lo have given 3000 men some kind of work weekly for a period of about two months. * , 'lho Labour Department received Authority from Wellington on Wednesday to prepare to commence tho scheme yesterday. The board is guaranteeing wages for all men whom local bodies may wish to employ on works not provided for in this or next year's estimates. How many men may be given work r.ow depends upon what the local, bodies •wish done in their respective districts. It should bo understood that the Government is contributing wages only to men employed by local bodies over and above the regular outside staffs. Auckland Applicants Number 3000. When tho Labour Bureau was opened vesterday morning in its new location in the booking offico of the old railway station, about 3000 men were congregated outsido the building. Many were under tho impression that all were to be given work there and then, and apparently thoy were not versed in the department's intention to place only married men with two or more children first. For classification purposes the chairman of the Unemployment Board and Minister of Labour, the Hon. S. G. Smith, has divided those seeking work into groups "A," "B" and "G." The first classification concerns single men, who will be entitled to two days' work a week. Group "B" includes married men, and men with a wife and one child under 16, and entitles those so classified to three days' work weekly; and group "C" those with two or more children. Men in this section will be given four days' work each y.eek. The department communicated last week with the various local bodies in its district asking how many men could be placed. As a result it was able to call up sufficient men yesterday to supply local body needs and to . absorb a large number of tho married men. When "A" group has been accommodated attention will be given to placing " B" and " C" divisions. For a start the Auckland City Council took 200 men yesterday for various improvement operations, and it is expected that before the end of the week the number will be greatly increased. The Transport Board is eager to have certain work done, and is to find occupation for 200 men. Local Bodies to Engage Men.

Other local bodies are formulating plans for the immediate absorption of varying quotas of the workless, the nature of the work being largely cleaning-up of streets,' removal of noxious weeds, footpath formation and in somo instances road building and waterworks extension. Now that the scheme is in motion the Labour Bureau has authorised local I authorities henceforth to engage their own men without reference to city headquarters. The only stipulations aro that local bodies must satisfy themselves that the men have registered as unemployed with tho Labour Bureau, have been out of work for 14 days and have paid the first instalment of the unemployment levy. The names of all men employed by outside bodies are being forwarded immediatelv to the bureau, and as soon as full details' are received the number placed in work- from the first day of the operation of the No. 5 scheme will be ascertainable. Suburbs and Country Work. Permanent work will occupy 33' men at Ellerslie, the Town Board haying engaged that number yesterday. The tasks put in hand included the removal of rock from the roadsides and the making of kerbs from the best of material. Severity men began work yesterday in Mount Eden borough, the principal work being the removal of rock and spoil and the improvement of Nicholson Park. Thirty men started in Mount Albert find a squad of 40 Will begin this morning Tho marine boroughs ako_ are taking their quotas, Devonport having engaged 120 men and Takapuna 100. Onehunga Las selected 70 men to carry out improvements in the borough, Otahuhu expects'to employ 100. 'lho New Lynn Borough Council is placing 50 or 60 men. Forty/ men commenced street and other improvement work in the Northcote Borough yesterday ond 12 men were engaged by the Northcote Committee on ground improvements. Similar work will be provided at tho District, High School. At Birkenhead 35 men were placed by ♦ lie borough council. Additional men are to be absorbed at the Birkenhead School s grounds- , . . Arrangements to provide work under the board's scheme .have been made by the Tuakau Town Board. The work will be for men resident in the town district who have been registered as unemployed for 14 days.

NEW LABOUR BUREAU.

RAILWAY BOOKING OFFICE,

New. quarters for the Labour Employment Bureau have been obtained by Air. W. Slaughter, officer in charge of the Labour Department in Auckland. "he premises which the bureau had occupied in Customs Street had become seriously congested and much too cramped for the volume of business, particularly in recent months. . . . Mr. Slaughter conceived the idea of utilising the booking office of the old railway station He communicated with the chief engineer of railways, who made a special trip to Auckland early last week. The official was impressed with the plan and within three days permission came from Wellington for the utilisation of tho buildings. Mr. E Birchell, chief inspector of scaffolding. then set a number of unemployed carpenters to work, and by Saturday the old booking office had been converted to a now use. There is now ample accommodation foi tho staff and more suitable space foi the unemployed. Further, the unemployed will now be under shelter and Jiavo seating accommodation. A decision to undertake work under the No. 5 scheme was reached at a meeting of tho Papakura Town Board last evening. The Works Committee was allowed general discretionary powers for tho expenditure of money for unemployment relief.