UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21251, 3 August 1932, Page 13

UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM

CITY BOOT POOL TRANSFER OF CONTROL WORK TO BE CARRIED ON Within the next week the boot pool, which has been conducted liy the Central r Rehabilitation Committee for the benefit i of the unemployed, will be taken over I by the Auckland Metropolitan Unemployment Relief Committee and will be trans- t ferrcd from the present quarters in Com- I merce Street to the relief' committee's f building in Hobson Street. In view of t inability to secure the necessary funds to j carry on the pool it was arranged that j the relief committee should take over this activity. i At yesterday's meeting of the relief \ committee, the honorary treasurer, Mr. j J. S. Brigham, reported that he had j written to the rehabilitation committee j stating that the relief committee was pre- < pared to take over the boot pool provided that the 115 carcases of meat held < in cold storage and available to tho pool ( were placed at its disposal uncondition- j ally, and on the understanding that the < financial position of tho pool was as had been disclosed. He added that the limit j of financial responsibility the relief com- ] mittee was expected to assume was tho ; £l2O deficit mentioned. ( Sir George Richardson said the rehabilitation committee had agreed to the terms j and the pool could be taken over imme- ] diately. ' Mr. B. Clark moved that the matter be . deferred until the next meeting, so that ] an audited statement could be presented. , It was mentioned by Mr. L. Marks j that the pool had repaired about 10,000 ; pairs of boots. At a conservative esti- . mate of 3s a pair the pool had done work , worth £ISOO. i Mr. Clark's motion was carried. , Sir George Richardson said he had been . in communication with Mr. S. J. E. j Closey, the originator of the boot pool, and had been advised that the statement , as desired could be furnished and the pool handed over on the terms laid down. It was decided that the relief committee should make itself responsible for the , supply of leather to the pool for one week, the total obligation not to exceed £lO. POSITION AT PAPATOETOE REQUEST NOT GRANTED Representations that local ratepayers who are unemployed should be allowed to work for the paying-oS of their arrears of rates were made by a deputation from the Papatoetoe Relief Workers' Association to the Papatoetoe Town Board last evening. Mr. H. Coles said many of the men were simply unable to pay anything. • Most of them had received demands for this year's rates and had not paid last vear's sccount. The board had granted the privilege of working off part of rates to a number of men last year. The deputation also requested that the 10 per cent penalty be waived. The chairman, Mr. W. J. Nicholson, said the board's position was somewhat different this year. Last year the concession had been possible on account of a small surplus in the board's funds. The> provision of plant, material, etc., for relief schemes up to March 31 last cost 1 £2700. In addition, the arrears of rates totalled £2BOO. This had resulted in an increased overdraft, which the ratepayers had to pay for. Rates this year had been reduced by id, but it was not possible for the board to forecast how revenue would work out. The board was prepared to consider the remission of the 10 per cent penalty on individual applications, but had to impose it generally to protect the ratepayers. The chairman said that, while sympathetic to the deputation's request, the board had to consider all ratepayers. If it were found possible to the concession later, the board would do so. In the meantime there was no prospect of anything being granted. NO WORK ON SATURDAY REQUEST AT PAPATOETOE 1 * 5 A request that Saturday work on the s unemployment scheme should be elimin- - atcd was made to the Papatoetoe Town Board by representatives of tho local Relief Workers' Association last evening. ' The speakers said Tapatoetoe was the • only district in which men wero asked to 1 work on Saturdays. 3 The chairman, Mr. W. J. Nicholson, ' said that., under the organisation of work, 1 the board had to spread the men over 3 the week. "If local bodies go to the 3 expense of organising work for the unemployed, and that entails Saturday work, we expect the men to meet us half-way," he said. Mr. Nicholson said he understood that the calls of sport and other things were fairlv strong, but the present organisation was necessary to get the maximum out of the scheme. After another member of the deputation had suggested that. Saturday work be assigned in rotation, it was decided to refer the matter to the board's officials to see what could bo done. ISSUE OP RATION TICKETS INQUIRY IN CHRISTCHURCH [BY TELEC.RAril —OWN CORRESPONDENT] CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday In order to make a thorough investigation into the working of the Government ration scheme, Mr. J. S. Jessep, deputychairman of the Unemployment Board, at tho request of the acting-Minister of Employment, the Hon. A. Hamilton, is coming to Christchureh this week. Tho Mayor, Mr. D. G; Sullivan, .M.P., interviewed Mr. Hamilton iu Wellington yesterday and communicated tho results to a deputation of unemployed to-day. Cases of hardship were quoted by members of the deputation and one' woman said children had eaten raw sausages because. there was no fire in tho house to cook them. The Government ration scheme was criticised on tho ground that, the people running it did not understand the necessities of the people. Mr. H. T. Armstrong, M.P., said ho knew of one man who, after two weeks' battling, had obtained a ration ticket worth two shillings for his wife and family. Mr. Sullivan said in his interview with Mr. Hamilton the Minister had said that one reason for withholding information about tho working of the ration scheme in Christchureh was that if it disclosed that Christchureh was receiving more than other cities, feeling would be caused. The Minister had asked him, in his capacity as Mayor, to see the position through until the results of the investigation were* available. He was not going to refuse the request, but that was not saying that things would be all right after Mr. Jessep's visit.