COUNTRY WORK CAMPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20978, 15 September 1931, Page 11

COUNTRY WORK CAMPS.

NO. 5 SCHEME REDUCED. SINGLE MEN'S HARDSHIP. DEPENDANTS DISREGARDED. "It seems likely that (lie Unemployment Board is cutting down allocations to local bodies under No. 5 scheme in order to provide funds for the new country labour camps," said the Mayor of Mount Albert, Mr. W. F. St dwell, yesterday, i_p discussing his council's difficulties in providing relief work for men in its district. "The camps should be very suitable for unattached single men," continued Mr. Stilwell, "but the point I want to make is that they are ' useless for the- single man with dependants. My experience at Mount Albert shows mo very clearly that men of this class are not being properly provided for. I know of many who have every whit as heavy responsibilities as married men. Numbers have old and indigent parents wholly or partly dependent on their earnings. Others are the sole support of younger relatives. We give them all the consideration we can in allotting the wages-money we get from the "board, but wo are not allowed to give them more than two days' work a week. "In treating all single men alike, the Unemployment Board no doubt wants to avoid the trouble of inquiring into individual cases. It also wants to prevent exploitation. Still, it seems to me that as relief work is getting down almost to a permanent basis, and as it certainly will go on for a long the board ought to do something to help this rnuchneglcctcd and very deserving class of men. I am quite sure it could rely upon the local bodies for the fullest help in investigating cases. "Many such single men are of a very fine type; they have shouldered family responsibilities which others possibly would have shirked. They have never been able to marry. As things are, the board gives them and their dependants no consideration." Referring to the board's allocations, Mr. Stilwell said his council had been cut clown to £6OO a week, whereas it had formerly had £BSO, and at present needed at least £BOO to stavo off real hardship among the relief workers. In reply to an urgent request to the Unemployment Board for more money he had received the following telegram:—"Local certifying officers make allocation to local bodies out of funds granted by Unemployment Board. Funds allocated to certifying officers have been made to fullest possible extent. Regret unable to assist in direction desired." The fluctuations in the board's weekly allowances made it difficult to carry on works satisfactorily, Mr. Stilwell said. His council had tried once to strike an average in its expenditure, but soon found that any amount under-spent in one week was irrecoverable in the next. He thought local bodies should be allowed to make reasonable adjustments of this kind in the interests of smooth working.