WORK IN RELIEF CAMPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21617, 9 October 1933, Page 12

WORK IN RELIEF CAMPS

Sir, —I have been reading with in. tercst the criticism of the farming community upon single men in relief camps in' particular, and the remarks of Mr. Jessep upon relief workers in general. Jfc is about time someone took up the cudgels on behalf of the much maligned single men in relief camps According to Mr. Jessep there is a ten.' dency on the part of relief workers presumably including single men, to make the camps a permanency, instead -of straining every nerve to obtain work Ho also points out thqt those in employment are paying to provide relief for the unemployed. Mr. Jessfep's remarks would certainly convey the jm. pression to anyone unfamiliar with the facts that relief workers were not only being treated generously, but were under considerable obligation to the general public. In common fairness to single men in camps, I trust you will permit me to give a few facts relating to the work we do in return for pocket money. When I use the term pocket .money I quote Mr. Coatcs' own interpretation. He said that the pay received by single men relief workers was in no sense to be regarded as wages, but only as pocket money. We in this cam)j> work 47 hours per week for 10s, or thereabouts. The work is heavy draining on a contract basis of approximately 3d per yard. To earn say 12s a man must put in a real week's work, frequently in one or two feet of water. I don't think anyone considering these facts will deny that we earn what we receive. Surely in the light of the above facts it is obvious that despite Mr. Jessep's assertion, we most emphatically do not wish to make relief work a permanency. The plain truth is that at the present juncture the chances of any of us who are unskilled at a trade obtaining outside employment is practically negligible. In any case, seeing that we work six days per week, how is it possible to search for work? If Mr. Jessep would indicate where work is to be found at anything ,like reasonable hours for a reasonable rate of pay the camps would soon empty. Faieplay. To Kawa.