NO TEMPORARY WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20901, 17 June 1931, Page 10

NO TEMPORARY WORK.

■ A ' ■ GAP UNTIL SESSION. FUNDS NOT AVAILABLE. ■4 - 'ATTITUDE OF GOVERNMENT. RELYING ON LOCAL AID. APPEAL TO PUBLIC BODIES. [by telegraph.—rnEss association.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. Replying to various comments on the unemployment relief situation the Prime -Minister, the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes, naid to-day that the money provided by Parliament having been spent there was now no further provision for finding other funds until* Parliament gave authority. Means of providing further funds had not yet been determined, but the Minister of Labour was going into the question and would make a recommendation to the Cabinet in time for a decision to bo made so that .the matter could be brought before the House as early as possible in the coming session. a It had been suggested that Parliament should be called together earlier than June 25 for tho purpose of considering •ways and means of giving assistance, but Mr. Forbes said that was hardly possible, lie suggested that during the interval before the meeting of Parliament assistance cduld well be carried on temporarily from private and public body sources. "The general position in regard to finance is very difficult indeed, but we are. endeavouring to do everything possible to deal with unemployment," said Mr. Forbes. "I believe that co-operation right' throughout the country between private and public bodies and tho Government will enable much further assistance to be'given. A large number of men is still engaged on Government relief works and extra public works. We are employing many more men than usual, and are Btraining every effort to keep them on, tut ability, to give assistance is entirely limited by the finance available, and at present lack of money makes, it all very difficult. V " TIDING MEN OYER." AVOIDING UNDUE DISTRESS. EFFORTS OF GOVERNMENT. \ .[BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] • -. WELLINGTON, Tuesday. " An effort is being made by the Government to devi'so a temporary plan of relief to avoid undue. distress arising out of tho abandonment of the Unemployment Board's No. 5 scheme from next Saturday. A statement to this effect was mad& by the Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, in reply to a deputation from the Well-, ingtdn Citizens' Unemployment Commit- ' tee, which waited iipori him arid the Minister of Labour, the Hon. S. G. Smith, to- ", ' * The Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, said 'llie Wellington City Council's finances were in a difficult position and the council would be unable to do anything toward assisting men. The council was finding it , hard to retain its own staff. Mr. J. . I. Goldsmith said the committee's suggestion was that all single men should be taken out of the towns and placed in camps. Some form of discipline would; be required and those in camps should be made to take up physical exercise.and: attend lectures. They could also be given work near the camps. It was also suggested that the No. 5 / tcheme should he continued for married men and that the rule providing for a !■ man to stand down every fourth week should be abolished.' The committee's pro- /' .posal was that amarried man with a wife only should get three days' work a week ; a man with one child three and a-hali' 'days' - work; with two children four days ; with three'children four and a-half days; A »nd with four or more children five days' ■vork. . ■ • j • •• V The Prime Minister said- there was no ■ law-by which-men could be forced to go s into camp, and the Minister of Labour , -.said personal, representations had been made by certain Labour leaders who .objected to the proposal. Mr. Forbes said he recognised the seriousness "of the position and realised that the various voluntary organisations were doing wonderful work in relieving dis.Iress. He had -hoped the No. 5 scheme <sould be continued until Parliament met,, but this had proved impossible. It was urgent/' that more funds should be provided for the 'Unemployment Board and iso time would be lost in asking Parlif.ihent to do this as' soon as it- niet. Mr. Forbes said lie was conferring with tho Minister of Labour .concerning the 1 possibility of tiding tho men over and. l:.e hoped to be able to announce the result Of their 1 efforts some time this week.

•' HALF-COMPLETED WORKS. \ • . MANUKAU COUNCIL'S POSITION. -"The sudde'u cessation of the No. 5 unemployment scheme has left the Manukau County Council with several jobs Jialf finished," said the chairman, Mr. F. M. Waters, at a meeting of the council yesterday. "Most of these works would - never have been undertaken without this scheme, and it is going to be difficult for the council ,to decido what attitude it is going to adopt concerning 'their completion.- P6ssibly 'we•' can• provide a certain amount of work for our local ratepayers, but there is the continual cjy to reduce rates." A suggestion' was made by Mr. S. Pickards that-a system should be devised •by < which groups of unemployed could contract in the usual manner for works in the county. He said he was moeting the unemployed in Mangere shortly and would put that suggestion before them.

It wa3 decided 1 to make representations to- the Prime Minister and .the Minister of Labour to provide finance so that-the work could be continued: pending the meeting. of Parliament. The engineer, Mr. J. R. Page, reported that under the Bcheme an average of. .326 men had been employed in the cou.itv iduring the month, and wages had amounted, to approximately £470. a week. .Of the men, 141 had been local residents and. .185 city, residents.

- "SUSPENSION A CALAMITY." - TEMPORARY STEPS URGED The Mayor of Mount Albert,.Mr. \l. F. Stihvell, reported at lasj. .evening's meeting of -the council that lie! had sent an urgent telegram to the Prime Minister, .expressing the opinion of the council that the suspension of the N0."5 scheme nas a calapity. _He urged that suffering and destitution Should be avoided by >imercenejr measures,'-pending considerate :a by Parliament.