GREAT SOUTH ROAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21279, 5 September 1932, Page 10

GREAT SOUTH ROAD

HITCH IN STARTING WORK SELECTION OF THE LABOUR LOCAL MARRIED MEN'S CLAIMS Owing to a dispute whether outside single men or local married men should be engaged, the work of improving the Great South Road between Drury and the northern end of the Bombay deviation is being delayed.

"Tho position is absurd," said Mr. J. N. Massey, SI.P., chairman of the Franklin County Council, last evening, in detailing negotiations which had taken place between his council on the one hand, and the Main Highways Board and the Unemployment Board on tho other. "The establishment of a camp for single men and the provision of tools would cost £2900. The Main Highways Board i 3 perfectly willing to have the work done, provided the Franklin County Council bears a quarter of tho cost, but will employ only single men because the regulations of the Unemployment Board will not permit of tho employment of married men. "It is my belief that the public will take strong exception to tho employment of single men on highways work when married men are available," said Mr. Massey "It is reasonable to assume that the Unemployment Board would find ail tho wages, and is it not better to spend thdt money on married men in the district concerned ? Tho married men have to be paid somo money in any case, and here is a work of national importance on which thoy could bo engaged. "Another point is that tho employment of married men would obviate the somewhat costly necessity of establishing a camp. Our suggestion is that unemployed men in" the Papakura district should bo utilised and transported daily to and from their homes.

"The Franklin County Council has already framed its estimates for this year. At tho same time the county books show that a total of £12,000 in rates is outstanding. We have to have regard to the ability of our ratepayers to find money, and to that have reduced the rates and cut down maintenance costs. At the same time we have to provide work under the No. 5 scheme for the unemployed men in our area."

Mr. Massey added that his council had decided definitely that it would not contribute one-fourth of the cost of carrying out the work by means of the single men's camp scheme Ultimately, he explained, it was intended to reconstruct the road at a cost estimated to be between £90,000 and £IOO,OOO. The temporary plan, regarding which the dispute has occurred, was to improve the existing roadway by building up the shoulders and in other ways to make the highway safer for traffic.

"The Unemployment Board and the Main Highways Board have shown a lamentable lack of co-operation with the council in its efforts to place the unemployed on a most useful work," said Mr. Massey.