AUCKLAND UNEMPLOYED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20089, 4 May 1927, Page 9

AUCKLAND UNEMPLOYED

ASSISTANCE FROM GOVERNMENT applicants decline work. , (Special to Daily Times.) ■ - AUCKLAND. May 3. Twenty-seven unemployed men whose necessitous condition was made the subject of representations to the Prime Minister, have declined to accept .the work which was offered to them by the Government. All of them reside in Auckland. The 27 cases were taken up a few weeks ago by Mrs Emily Nicol. who has interested _ herself in the condition of the unemployed^in Auckland, and were referred to the Prime Minister on the ground that they were typical cases of hardship in Auckland deserving the Government’s assistance. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates has now; replied to Mrs Nicol as follows: ‘^Somo time ago you forwarded to me a list of 27 unemployed men in whose cases you were interested. The matter was taken up by the officials 0 f the Labour Department, and I am now able to advise you of the progress made. Each of the 27 was asked to report at the local office of the Labour Department, but only seven replied. The result in these seven cases was as follows: Case 1 stated that the money offered (12s for married men and 9s for single men) was not sufficient, and his wife did not like to be left alone. Case 2 would not accept the work as the money was not sufficient. Case 3 also maintained that the money was insufficient. Ho was getting casual work on the wharf. Case 4 was also getting casual work on the wharf. Case 6 signed the agreement form to proceed to the Public Works relief work. Case 6 sent his wife, who stated that her husband was getting casual employment each week, and would not accept the department’* relied work.” Mr Coates adds that only one of the mn accepted relief work.” I send you this information,” ho states, “so that you will be able to see that the Government has done everything possible to assist in placing the men concerned.” It is now learned from the local office of the Labour Department that the man who agreed lo accept work failed to appear at the job that was found for him. While the relief rates of pay obtain when a man first goes to a job. it is stated that in the course of two weeks or so practically every man is put on contract work and earns considerably more than the relief rates quoted.