UNEMPLOYED RELIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21110, 18 February 1932, Page 12

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF.

MAYOR'S SCHEME APPROVED

SUBURBAN DELEGATES CONCUR

REQUEST TO SOCIAL WORKERS

General approval of the scheme put forward by the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, for the complete reorganisation of the administration of unemployment relief iu the Auckland metropolitan area was given by a conference between the Finance Committee of the 6ity Council and representatives of the suburban local bodies held last evening. The Mayor presided, and the following representatives of suburban local bodies were present-: —Messrs. S- DonaldBon (Newmarket), W. F. StiKvell (Mount 'Albert), E. Morton (Onchunga), 1. J. G.oldstine (One Tree Hill), S. E. Chappell (Mount Eden), G. Lawson (New Lynn), and C. M. McCullougli (Mount l'oskill). The Ellerslie Town Board was not represented owing to (he ordinary meeting of the board being held on the same evening. The Mayor gave a general outline of the proposal, and said that ii the scheme were' adopted in its present or even a modified form they would be laying the foundation of an organisation that would serve not only at present, but also in the future. The main proposal iu the scheme, that Hiiemplovmcnt registry districts be fixed bv the boundaries of the local bodies so that each should definitely be charged ■with the care of its own unemployed, was approved. Prior to this a motion moved by Mr. Goldstine was carried to the 7 effect that the whole discussion be subject to the local bodies having the necessary funds available or the Unemployment Board being able to assist in the matter of supervision costs. Relief from a Burden. Mr. W. Slaughter, officer in charge of the Auckland Labour Bureau, who attended at the request of the Mayor, said that the principle underlying tlie scheme would meet with the approval of a number •of the smaller local bodies, which desired to be relieved of the burden of carrying men from other districts. The Mayor assured the delegates that the local bodies would be required to participate only to tho extent oi their ability. lie was looking to the Government to bring down a scheme that would largely.,.do v away. witk J.be necessity for •what, was proposed under the plan. ,Where a local body could not find employment for the whole of the men registered in its district the surplus, by agreement between the bodies involved, could be transferred through the Labour Bureau to another district. Dispensing Relief. Approval was als;o given to the proposal to take over the duty of dispensing 'unemployment relic:!, thus relieving the Hospital Hoard of that task, the necessary finance to be obtained from the "Unemployment Fund. It was explained that at present it was impossible to ascertain what unemployment, including relief in its various iorms arising out of unemployment, was costing the country, but under this plan this information ;would be available. The plan as amended was approved for submission to the various local bodies, and it was decided that representatives of the social organisations be asked to confer with the delegates from the local bodies with a view to arriving at some agreement for the prevention of over- j lapping where the giving of sustenance j •was concerned. In this connection it was nlso agreed that the local bodies should permit not more than seven street collections a year for the purpose of raising funds, and that the local bodies should place facilities at the disposal of the met lopolitan committee, set up to administer the scheme, in any measures taken to supplement the funds of the committee. Tho meeting with the representatives of the social organisations was fixed for next .Wednesday evening. DRAINAGE AND QUARRYING. WIDE SCOPE IN FRANKLIN. [FXIUM OUR OWN C'ORRESI'ONUKNT. ] PUKEKOHE, Wednesday. 'Arrangements for providing further Vork in I lie Franklin County for unemployed men from Auckland were made by the County Council to-day. The chairman, Mr. J. N. Masscy, M.P., piesided. One undertaking will be the deepening and straightening of. the Paerata Creek for 89J; chains northward from the railway bridge at the Pukekohe Borough boundary. Twenty men arc to be engaged there, commencing about Monday. Housing is to he provided in permanent quarters at the Paerata butter factory. Owners of land who will benefit by the >vork are finding £4O toward the rent. T lis member for the Mercer riding, Mr. J. Dean, together with the county engineer, Mr. J. F. McArthur, was authorised to put in hand other land drainage works at. Mangatawhiri, estimated lo eosi £.1160, the landowners lo find the camp, tools, insurance and cost of supervision and the Labour Department to find the men. It- was also announced that a quarrying -party of eight men would commence within the next three weeks or so winning metal for surfacing the WaiukuDruiy Road at Brown's Gullv. This will lie the fifth quarrying paity from Auckland to- be given a contract in the county. Hutments to accommodate the men are being built by the council. The council announced that it was prepared to receive, applications from ratepayers for unemployed .men to carry out improvements on properties. The chairman emphasised I hat the Labour Department was prepared to find the men on 'Applications being received from the landowners. While the owner wuuld not be required to refund the full cost of the work, he would be expected to pay back over a period of years the value of the improvements effected. This would assist the Government to cope with unemployment. LESS WORK AT HAMILTON. PROTEST AGAINST REDUCTION. [from our own correspondent.] HAMILTON, Wednesday. Advice that a ten hours' "cut" in the allocation of unemployment relief work under the .No. 5 scheme will be made locally this week has been received in Hamilton. As a result, the wages received by married men will be reduced by about 15s. Strong protests against the reduction have been forwarded to the Minister in charge of Unemployment, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, by the Minister of Health, Hon. J. A. Young, the unemployed, the Waikato Social Welfare League and School committees.