RELIEF AND SUSTENANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22378, 26 March 1936, Page 13

RELIEF AND SUSTENANCE

,HIGHER RATES OF PAY EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT LIKELY [by telegraph—own correspondent] WELLINGTON, Wednesday The Minister of Employment, Hon. .H. T. Armstrong, expects to announce within a few days an increase in the sustenance and relief rates.

In referring to-day to a rumour that country camps are to bo closed at the end of March and the men placed on sustenance, the Minister said that a new rule was being brought into operation to the effect that all men on Nd. 5 scheme must have their wages brought up to the current rates by the local bodv employing them. Local bodies, he said, must give the men a 40-hour week at current rates. If they did not do that the men would go on sustenance in the meantime and later be transferred to full-time work. That would be done as soon as possible. The men would lose nothing by the closing of any camp. y . . CAMPS TO BE CLOSED MEN IN OHINEMURI COUNTY [bt telegraph —OWN correspondent] PAEROA, Wednesday An intimation has been received from the Unemployment Board by the Ohinemuri County Council that all relief camps in the county will cease to exist under the control of the board as from April 4. This will mean the closing of four camps in the Ohinemuri County which have been in existence for the past four or five years. The camp at the Paeroa Racecourse has been occupied by up to 100 men. all from Auckland City, who have been doing useful work on the county roads during the past five years. They have done practically the whole of the work of reforming and grading the main roads from Hikutaia to Paeroa, and also the remaking of the Paeroa-Te Aroha main highway. At present there ar« 54 rilen in this camp. Other camps to be closed are at Waikino, Karangahake, and Mangaiti. All of the men concerned were from Auckland City and emploj-ed under the No. 5 scheme. They are to return to Auckland, and those who are considered to be unfit for employment under the Public Works Department will be placed on sustenance. The men who have been stationed in Paeroa will be missed by J 'he local business men, as their expenditure has been at least £250 a week in the town.