LESS BELIEF MONEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20954, 18 August 1931, Page 10

LESS BELIEF MONEY.

CONSTERNATION IN SOUTH.

WORKERS PUT: OFF AGAIN.

UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD'S ACTION

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] CHIIISTCHURCH, Monday. Consternation lias Leon caused among local bodies by the action of the Unemployment Board in suddenly cutting down tho amount of money allowed for unemployment relief works this week. It is stated that men who started work to-day will have to be told that thero will be no work for them to-morrow. The Christchurch City Council's allocation for this week has been cut down from £IB3O to £1520, a difference of £360. Tho Citizens' Unemployment Committee discussed the matter and sent a telegram to tho board stating that much perturb ation had been caused by its action. The board was asked to give a week's notice of any future alterations. -"I am satisfied that tho new board has slipped back to the position in which the old board found itself," declared Mr. W. W. Scarff, a member of tho Heathcote County Council. "I had instructions today to put off men, both married and single." Tho chairman of tho Tramway Board, Mr. E. H. Andrews, said tho board had work on which single men could be employed, but its allocation this week had been cut down to £IOO. While amounts were being cut down like that many men would not get their quota of work. Mr. G. Maginness said ho had always been *of the opinion that tho Unemployment Board should consist of the Ministers of Labour, Lands, Railways and Public Works. They had a responsibility to Parliament and to tho people, and had control of works. Instead of that an Unemployment Board was set up to act as a buffer between Parliament and the people. COMPLAINT BY WELLINGTON. AUCKLAND RECEIVES LESS. Complaints from Wellington that Auckland is receiving an unduly large share of tho funds available for unemployed relief works are not borne out by an investigation of the figures. Indeed, it appears that Wellington is receiving considerably more per capita than is Auckland. It was stated at a meeting of the Wellington Citizens' Unemployment Committee that Wellington had 5000 unemployed, while in Auckland the number was just under 7000. It was further stated that Auckland got about £ISOO more a week than Wellington received. Inquiry at the Labour Department. Auckland, showed that ths Auckland allocation from tho funds has been at tho rate of £7500. during the past few weeks. For the week ended August d thero wero 7030 registered unemployed m Auckland, while, in addition, 513 men, emploved on relief works by the YVaitemata County Council, and not registered in the Auckland district, were financed out of the Auckland allocation. In other words, 7543 men were paid out of tho Auckland allocation of £7500, an average of slightly under £1 a man. _ . Wellington complains that it received £ISOO less than Auckland's allocation—that is, £6ooo—for the employment of 5000 men. But that mikes Wellington s share average £1 4s for each man, or over four shillings a head more than Auckland is receiving. POSITION IN NEW PLYMOUTH. COUNCIL VOTES FURTHER £2OOO. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] XEW PLYMOUTH, Monday. In order to provide for unemployment relief during the remainder of the current financial year, the New Plymouth Borough Council was compelled this evening to vote another £2OOO out of tho street works fund for relief purposes and to notify ratepayers that this means not only the complete cessation of all new work on streets, but a reduction in the usual maintenance. Mr. Robertson said while this was tho only step possible from the humane point of view, the position was most unsatisfactory in that the council had been compelled to shoulder no less than 20 per cent, of the total cost of unemployment relief, owing to the largo amount of supervision of the employees, insurance and haulage costs. Assuming that tho Government was going to expend £3.000,000 next year on unemployment relief, and that all local authorities had to find 20 per cent, of the total expenditure as in New Plymouth, this would mean that the ratepayers of New Zealand must find £600,000 apart from the ordinary unemployment levy and tho wages tax. It was too heavy a burden altogether and there seemed no hope of relief in tho future. DISTRESS IN TE AROHA. FOOD AND CLOTHING SOUGHT. I [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TE AROHA, Monday. Meas ires for the relief of distress wero discuss d at a public meeting called by the Ms yor, Mr. R. Coulter.. Mr. Coulter said tho week's allocation for relief work was only £l3O. Ho appealed strongly to residents to make somo effort to ensuro a supply of provisions and clothing. It was finally decided to mako a complete canvUss of the town on Wednesday for gifts of food and clothing.