RELIEF ANOMALIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22319, 17 January 1936, Page 13

RELIEF ANOMALIES

MEN ON THE 4A SCHEME INADEQUATE ALLOWANCES A complaint that unemployed men registered under the 4A scheme have not been treated fairly in comparison with those employed under other forms of relief is made by Mr. W. A. Bishop, chairman of the Waitemata County Council, in a letter to the Minister of Employment, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong. Mr. Bishop states that men with small 1 holdings have suffered hardship through 1 being placed on the 4A scheme, as the weekly cash grant for a man and wife is 15s, against from 21s to 27s under the No. 5 scheme. It is admitted that ■ in the majority of cases there is at least some income from the farms, but in many instances it is so small as ' to be almost negligible, and extends over a short season of two or three s months. " It would appear that through lack ; of personal knowledge of various local- ; ities, sufficient allowance for the poor ; quality of the soil is not made when - departmental officers are considering } these areas," he writes. " There are > in this county numerous small sections, ! ranging in area from, say, five to 25 acres, occupied by men on relief. Many of these sections, however, are so poor in soil and productivity, and so unde- ! veloped, as to be utterly incapable of 1 supporting a family, even when sup- • plemented by the 4A allowance. s " Much of the land comprises old I abandoned gum workings, or third ' quality country, very poor and prel cipitous, and covered with gorse and i tea-tree. It is a long, difficult and cx- ; pensive process bringing land of this nature under cultivation or pasture, I and at present owners are greatly lian- , dicapped by lack of capital." ; Another hardship to which Mr. • Bishop draws attention is that caused > by men having to re-register, and liav- ; ing to stand down for one or two • weeks without any assistance whatever > between the different contracts or • periods of work.