WORK FOR MAORIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22195, 23 August 1935, Page 14

WORK FOR MAORIS

iA PUKEKOHE PEOBLEM UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD PLAN POTATO AND ONION DIGGING Thero have been n number of complaints in tho past that tho potato and onion growers of tho Pukekohe district have experienced difficult}' in obtaining tho necessary labour to dig their crops while many of tho Maoris who formerly performed much of this labour were on relief. Negotiations havo been proceeding between tho Frankliii Potato and Onion Growers' Association and the Auckland office of tho Unemployment Board in an effort to arrive at some arrangement which will induce the Maoris to accept this •work, and at the snmo timo ensure that the payment which they shall receivo shall bo adequate. A scheme has now been devised •which is calculated to meet these requirements and will bo brought into operation almost at once. Tho position presented some unusual features as it was desired to assist tho growers in obtaining the necessary labour without actually subsidising tho producers. Under tho scheme which it is announced tho board is prepared to assist the growers requiring labour will give to tho certifying officer of the district 24 hours' notice of their labour requirements. There are at present 28 Maoris on the local register' and these will bo detailed to tho work as required. The employer will mark on a special card the amount to which the "worker is entitled, based on a scale of pay agreed upon, including any amount payable to tho worker's wife if she is also employed on the farm. Should weather or other difficulties' prevent the employment of tho Maori on any .particular day tho Maori is to attend at the job and the employer •will record on the card that he has been unable to employ him. Thus in any week in which tho Maori is unable to earn the amount to which he would bo entitled under his No, 5 scheme classification the Unemployment Board will pay him sustenance of an amount that will bring his earnings up to the No. 5 scale. WORK DONE IN BOROUGH EFFICIENCY 55 PER CENT [from our own correspondent] PUKEKOHE, Thursday A report on tho unemployment relief works in the Pukekohe borough from February, 1931, to March 31, 1935, was presented to tho Pukekohe Borough Council last evening by the town clerk, Mr. S. Bish. The report stated that the sum of £2734 Ds had been paid in relief wages, ■wh'le £686 14s had been paid for materials, plant and supervision, making the total expenditure £3421 3s. Estimates of the value of the work done stood at £IBBO, making a return of 55 per cent efficiency on the work done. From the council's point of view assets amounting to £IBBO had been created for an outlay of £686.

"It will be noticed from the figures," said Mr. Bish, "that far better results were obtained when the men ■were engaged at their own trade. In building, for instance, the sum of £l4*2 had been expended, and the valuation of the/ work done was £133. Against this, £2012 had been expended on street construction and the work done was valued at £IO3O. In the case of street construction, however, the men had to work with barrows, instead of with proper plant." Council members agreed that under the circumstances the position was very satisfactory, STILL WITHOUT SUSTENANCE TOLAGA BAY MEN IDLE [by telegraph*—own correspondent] GISBORNE, Thursday Most of the 14 married relief workers at Tolaga Bay, who, on rejecting an offer of subsidised work on Mangaheia Station 10 days ago, wore treated as being voluntarily unemployed, are still without sustenance. Sinco the work was offered and turned down most of the men have earned nothing and their position is becoming most difficult. A deputation waited on the certifying officer of the Unemployment Board at Tolaga Bay and that officer communicated with the Gisborne office of the board, which was able to offer work for three of tho men, the work being of the same type as that which waft refused last week. Mr. D. \V. Coleman, M.P., was asked to take up tho matter of tho men's dercgistration and ho has communicated with tho Unemployment Board/in the matter.