UNEMPLOYED RELIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20820, 12 March 1931, Page 13

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF.

ABSORBING AUCKLAND MEN.

LARGE NUMBER PLACED.

FIFTY ENGAGED ON FARMS. Of 6500 men who have registered at the Auckland Labour Bureau seeking employment approximately 4000 have been placed with one or other of the local bodies about Auckland and aro at work for two, three or four days a week, according to whether they are married or single and whether or not they have dependants. A largo proportion of the remaining 2500 are single men and some aro able to find at least temporary employment. Increasing advantage is being taken by farmers of the Unemployment Board's No. 4 scheme and it seems likely to prove of real use in meeting the situation. Under this scheme the board makes a straight out grant of 15s a week to a farmer employing a single man and of 25s a week to a farmer employing a married man. In the first fortnight of its operation in Auckland 50 men have been placed on farms under this arrangement and the majority of them have been taken on for 26 weeks, a period that will suffice to see them through the winter. ADMINISTRATION CRITICISED. DISCRIMINATION ALLEGED. [FROM OUIt OWN CORRESPONDENT.] tfGARUAWAHIA, Wednesday. Unsatisfactory administration of the unemployment funds was alleged at a meeting of the Raglan County Council yesterday. Mr. Furniss said that in the cities money was being flagrantly squandered and much of the work being done on country roads, although useful, was costing double what it would have cost under proper labour conditions. He suggested that the unemployed be put to work breaking in unoccupied Crown lands or bringing in abandoned farms. The council agreed with Mr. Furniss and passed resolutions favouring the employment of relief workers on land development and objecting to their employment on unnecessary or non-essential works.

A motion was passed also protesting against alleged discrimination against farmers in regard to relief work. It was stated that although employment was being found to make up the pay of miners to £ls a month for married men. and £lO for single men, farmers who were penniless had been put off relief works. GRANT MADE TO WAIROA. SUM OF £IOOO AVAILABLE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A grant of £IOOO from tho funds of the Unemployment Board has been made available to the Wairoa Borough Council, in conjunction with the local unemployment committee. In making this announcement, the Hon. S. G. Smith, Minister of Labour, stated that the conditions of the grant included the rationing of work Uie selection of which was to be left to the discretion of the local authorities in view of the present exceptional circumstances.