BOARD'S BOOT SCHEME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21505, 31 May 1933, Page 14

BOARD'S BOOT SCHEME

, DISTRIBUTION METHOD MEN WORKING FULL TIME NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ISSUE During tho past 12 months, the Auckland Metropolitan Unemployment, Relief Committee has provided nearly 5500 pairs of working boots for relief j workers, nearly half of these being supplied free. The position was reviewed at tho meeting of the committee yesterday in view of tho decision of the Unemployment Board to have boots manufactured for these workers. It was stated by Mr. W. Slaughter, officer controlling unemployment in the Auckland district, that the board's scheme would apply to men under the No. 5 scheme who were on tho ration basis, which meant men who were not working full-time. Men on the No. 5 scheme who were working full-time and those employed in the depots would not be eligible. The scheme would probably be put into operation next week, and would bo for the benefit of those who had been on relief at the ration basis for six months. They would be required to work an extra day. The Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, who presided, suggested that they should stop the supply of boots to those men who would be supplied by the board and thus make their own funds go further. It was decided to advise those men who were eligible that they must work the extra day if they wanted boots, and that those men who had not the six months' qualification could still get boots on paying half tho cost. Those proceeding to camp for the first time would be given a free issue. It was further explained by Mr. Hutchison that the 2000 Auckland men in county camps in the Auckland district were in danger of being overlooked ; under the board's boot scheme as they were not apparently provided for. The county camp scheme was not in operation in any other part of New Zeai land, and as the Auckland men so j placed did not appear to be eligible for the boot issue, being full-time men, he had communicated with the board and thought that tho difficulty might be adjusted. He suggested that the committee defer action until he received a reply.

The committee decided that men in full-time country camps be allowed to continue getting boots from the committee at half cost until such time as they are brought under the board's boot scheme. WAGES DISPUTE DIFFICULTY AT ONEHUNGA A SETTLEMENT REACHED The dispute betwen the Labour Department and the. Onehunga Borough Council regarding relief workers' pay has been settled. The council on Monday evening decided that it would not pay the current week's wages to relief workers because of tho action of the Labour Department in withholding payment of the wages earned last week, which had" already been disbursed by the Borough Council from its own funds. Under a resolution passed last year, fixing a residential qualification of six months, the council refused employment to a recent arrival who, without the council's approval, was engaged last week on relief work at the Royal Oak School. As his name did not appear on the wages sheet, the Labour Department withheld the whole of last week's pay, amounting to £760. ' Yesterday the following telegram was despatched by the Mayor of Onehunga, Mr. E. Morton, to the Minister of Employment:—"My council strongly disapproves of the action of the Auckland Labour Department in withholding one week's relief wages on account of a dispute, and declines to find further relief pay until money is paid over. The department must make its own arrangements for any further wages." Later in the day the town clgrk received the following letter from the postmaster at Onehunga, who is tho certifying officer to tho pay vouchers:— "I have now been instructed to certify for payment your refund of wages for the week ended May 27, with the exception of those workers who are employed at the Royal Oak School. Please arrange to delete these from the wanes sheets." It is assumed that the difficulty will bo overcome by transferring the gang employed at the Royal Oak School to the Mount Roskili Road Board, in whose district the school is.