UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22122, 28 November 1933, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

OPERATIONS IN DUNEDIN WORK FOR TO-DAY. The following groups under the control of the Dunedin City Corporation Works Department will commence work at 8 a.m. to-day:— 369 —At Mornington football ground. 229—At Rest Home, Roslyn. CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS TREAT In order to raise funds for the Mayor’s appeal for the Christmas treat for the children of the unemployed it has been decided to arrange a street collection on Friday, December 1, and a garden party will be held in Mr and Mrs Solomon’s grounds, 24 Granville crescent, on December 9. A meeting of ladies interested will be held in the Mayor’s room, Town Hall, at 3 p.m. to-day, and a cordial invitation is extended to ladies who may be interested in this very worthy appeal. Donations for either function may be left at the Town Hall.

CONFERENCE OF MAYORS BOARD’S POLICY CONDEMNED. i Per United Press association i ELTHAM, November 27. The unemployment problem was discussed at length by the provincial conference of Taranaki mayors this morning, when a series of resolutions was adopted. The conference affirmed that the allocation to the Taranaki Unemployment Commitee had never been adequate and the cut made would make the position unbearable. The conference also resolved to enter a strong protest against the policy of the board in providing a greater measure of relief for the unemployed in the city areas in contrast with the provincial towns and districts. The resolution asserted that country seasonal work was ■of a most casual nature and could not be regarded as sufficient to maintain the present wholesale reduction in relief allocations.

The board’s building subsidy scheme was briefly criticised and the conference recorded its disapproval of the diversion of unemployment funds for building and painting 'schemes “ which can only be taken advantage of by those in good financial circumstances.”

DISTRIBUTION OF BOOTS

A CHRISTCHURCH COMPLAINT.

(Per United Press association.) CHRISTCHURCH, November 27.

For the first time in many months the Unemployment Committee tb-day had .before it evidence that the number of men in need of relief wages or rations is decreasing. The Central Relief Committee reported that the number of families to which rations had been distributed during the last fortnight had been reduced by 400. It was also reported! that increasing numbers of men were informing the paymasters on relief works that they were leaving to take other work.

The committee discussed to-day a complaint made a fortnight ago that the boots distributed by the Business Men’s Relief Committee had in casep been given not to the children of unemployed men as intended, but to the children of men in regular employment at good wages. Mention was made in the original complaint of Children of employees of the City Council receiving boots. These complaints were investigated, and proved to be well founded. One of the men whoso child received boots was earning £5 Is 6d a week. The distribution was made through the schools and, while in some schools reasonable inquiries were made, at others boots were given away without inquiry. 1 The committee came to no conclusion, but expressed the general belief that the dispensation of relief should be closely supervised