UNEMPLOYMENT BELIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21990, 27 June 1933, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT BELIEF

LOCAL ACTIVITIES GROUPS TO REPORT The following Reserves Department groups will report for work at 8 a.m. to-day:— ' . ■ ... • , 369—At Mormngton football ground. 229—At Rest Home, Roslyn. GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S FUND Messrs Roes and Glendining have given :£25 in goods, towards the Governor-Gene-ral's Fund. As donations are. for the most part distributed. in the district in which they are given, these goods will be available at the Mayor's depot. Messrs Kirkpatrick and Co., Nelson, lave contributed 250 tins of jam, these constituting Dunedin's quota. THEATRE TICKETS FOR EXSERVICEMEN ' Thirty tickets for: each matinee performance of the picture "Diggers in Blighty" this week 'have been sent to the Returned Soldiers' Association by the management of the St. James Theatre for distribution among unemployed ex-service men,' . • .•'■ REQUEST FOR CONCERT * CHAMBER MAYOR EXPLAINS POSITION. The Mayor (the E. T. Cox) referred yesterday to the position which had arisen with regard to the request which had been.made by the Anti-camp Council for the free use of the Concert Chamber for a public meeting. The Mayor said that the report of the Anti-camp Council would make, it appear that he was not keeping faith "with his election pledges. That was not so. The position in Dunedin was very different from that prevailing in other cities. Out of 1111 married men who had been medically examined for camp, only two had proceeded thither, and 13 Were on sustenance. !',-* ! The Government wag not compelling Dunedin men to go to camp, because the. City Council 'was finding work for every man' sent to it by the Labour Department. In' this Dunedin was an exception to all the other centres, none of which was acting in this'manner. Thus large numbers, of unemployed' in those centres were unable to secure relief work, and the Government offered them camp. That was the reason for the anti-camp demonstrations' in other cities.' Further, the' local Unemployment Committee was always helpful to the men whose cases came before it, and the only men who were being sent to, camp were newcomers to. the city,: who should have remained ;in their own areas, and men who had broken discipline..' In view of this, he asked why an agitation should be fostered where none was needed. A big demonstration would only agitate a. large section of the people and make them needlessly bitter for no useful purpose. The local Unemployment Committee, moreover, was negotiating with the Government with a view to stopping the calling up of the men for medical examination, as it only caused unrest in their homes, and, while the city continued to provide work for, all, the camps were not required. '..'■'■'<

r SUBSIDISED PAINTERS

IMMEDIATE PROGRAMME COMPLETED. Last week Mr F. Jones, M.P., telegraphed to the general manager of railways urging that painters engaged on Government buildings under a system of subsidy to which the Railways Department contributed, should not be dismissed, as there was plenty of work awaiting attention. Yesterday Mr Jones received a reply stating that the programme of work had. now been completed, and, quite apart from financial considerations, weather conditions were not suitable for the commencement of any new schedule of work at the moment. Consequently the general manager regretted to have to advise that he could not act on the suggestion made by Mr Jones. ' MOSGIEL RELIEF COMMITTEE Mr A. F. Quelch (Mayor of Mosgiel) presided over a special meeting of the Mosgiel Relief Committee last night to consider what steps should be taken to cope with the distress that existed. It was pointed out that the stand-down week seriously hampered breadwinners in providing sufficient food for those dependent on them. Only 68 per cent of the money that Mosgiel should receive for relief was reaching the town, and there appeared to be "o reason for this shortage. The relief depot had been depleted and some families were therefore in sore need In many instances a man with a wife and child averaged leas than £1 per week for food, clothes, and rent. It was eventually decided that a public meeting of local body representatives and the general public be called for next Monday night to come to some arrangement for the procuring of food and clothes for the poor and needy. The Mayor was also asked to place the committee's appeal for the abolition of the stand-down week before the Minister when the local bodies' deputation waited on him in Dunedin early next week, the Revs. A. Francis and. H. Graham to be associated with him m the matter. , ' . The opinion was expressed at the meeting that Mosgiel should not join in the Dunedin effort, which was taking the form of a queen carnival/ There was, too much distress locally to cope with, and every effort possible would be required to deal with it without assisting an outside matter.

ISSUE OF FOOTWEAR SCHEME NOW IN OPERATION. (Pes United E'ress Association.) WELLINGTON, June 26. v The issue of boots to relief workers in exchange for an extra day's work under the Unemployment Board's scheme commenced at Buckle ..street to-day. _ It is anticipated that the issue, affecting all outside 'depots in •'Wellington > district, covering nearly half the North Island and part of the South Island, will run into many thousands of pairs. So far as Wellington is concerned, this week s issue will total some 150 pairs. ORDERS PLACED IN AUCKLAND : : (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND,. June 26. Orders for 8700 pairs of working boots for issue to relief workers have been placed among Auckland manufacturers during the past,few days, making a total of 15,000 pairs ordered in Auckland since the Unemployment Board introduced its boot scheme a few weeks ago. It is anticipated that all these orders will be ready,for delivery by August 12. It is also expected it will be possible to commence the issue of boots to relief workers, in the Auckland metropolitan area about the middle of next month.