DRAINAGE OPERATIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21561, 4 August 1933, Page 11

DRAINAGE OPERATIONS

THAMES VALLEY BOARD BOOTS FOR RELIEF WORKERS [from OCR OWN" correspondent] TE AROHA, Thursday It was stated by the chairman, Mr. F. E. Hughes, at the monthly meeting of the Thames Valley Drainage Board to-day that the Building Committee had accepted the tender of Mr. W. G. Barclay of £1145 for the building of the board's new offices in Rewi Street. Application had immediately been made for a subsidy of £IOO and 8" per cent on the cost of the joinery involved under the new Government scheme. This had been approved by the Unemployment Board. Mr. H. Wagstaff, reporting on work at tho Eastport relief camp, said good progress had been made on the Ohine Stream, but the men had been somewhat hampered by the recent floods, which had brought clown a lot of debrii and had caused minor blockages. It was decided to hold the matter of loan conversion in abeyance. In reply to the board's application for gumboots and better equipment for relief workers engaged in drainage work, the Unemployment Board wrote that it regretted not being able to comply with the request to issue either knee or thigh boots, and suggested that the employing authority, which was reaping tho benefit of the labour, should consider providing, at least in some part, tho desired* equipment. The clerk said he had written pointing out that men* in the river camps automatically forwent tho concession of working boots which was available for all other relief workers, and ho had suggested that the men work an extra day and that the money so earned be devoted to serviceable footwear for the work. It was decided to approach tho board again, pointing out that it had lost sight of the point raised by the Drainage Board.