UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22256, 8 May 1934, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD

VISIT TO ROXBURGH A BUSY AFTERNOON I VARIETY OF REQUESTS PREFERRED (From Cue Special Hepoktek.) ROXBURGH, May 7. The Minister of Employment (Mr Adam Hamilton), accompanied by Mr JS. Jessep and Mr W. Bromley (members of the Unemployment Board) paid a visit to Roxburgh to-day and met local settlers and townspeople in the Council Chambers. Several deputations were introduced by Mr W. A. Bodkin (the member tor Central Otago), and consideration was promised in most cases. Unusual despatch characterised the Ministerial treatment of two deputations, however. In the first instance, Mr Hamilton showed how impossible one request was, and shortly afterwards he granted another offhand after a brief consultation with his colleagues. The Mayor of Roxburgh (Mr F. A. Laloli) welcomed the visitors, and after referring to the accomplishments of the Unemployment Board in the face of great difficulties and severe criticism, suggested a revival of the No. 2 scheme to assist in the absorption of unemployed men in their own trades. This was stated by Mr Bromley to have been proved impracticable. Mr Laloli then asked for an allocation from an art union to enable the Roxburgh Aero Club to purchase a landing ground at an approximate cost of £6OO. The ground was now leased, but if it were to be secured to the club it must be purchased outright. In support of the request the speaker reminded the Minister that Roxburgh was in the direct air line from Auckland to Bluff, and was therefore an important point. Mr Hamilton was quite definite in his refusal, however, pointing out that the Cabinet had decided that the allocations from art unions must be for charitable purposes only. RELIEF FOR FRUITGROWER. The n'cxt deputation wag from the local Unemployment Committee, which asked for relief for the fruitgrower who had been badly hit by the recent frosts, in the answer of the Minister they found evidence of the fact that Government "red tape” is not always as gloriously red as it appears. Mr T. P. Michelle presented the case, and said the committee had decided from the tone and temper of the recent corrtf spondence from the board that the case in question would receive short shrift. It was an instance of a man whose income was represented by the difference between costs of £69 and receipts of £74. It was thought that the fact that t“ er ® was no mortgage on his 30-acre fruit farm, for which he paid £7 per year, would debar him from relief. Mr Hamilton, Mr Jessep, and Mr Bromley said' not necessarily, and after putting their heads together for two minutes approved of the admission of the grower to the No. 4a scheme. AFFORESTATION. Mr J. Alexander, on behalf of the Reserves Committee of the Borough Council, asked the Minister to secure for them 100,000 trees of the pinna variety tor borough afforestation on the tailings. The borough had 100 acres for planting and a further area available, provided it could get the trees free. The 10,000 trees planted last year had made a wonderful strike, and if the council could get another 100,000 it could find a great deal of work for the unemployed. Mr Bromley said that last year the Forestry Department had given away its surplus, but the difficulty was that that surplus was now exhausted. In addition, the council asked for a certain amount of unemployed labour to plant and later look after the trees. Mr Hamilton said they surely did not expect still to be worried by unemployment when the trees grew up. The Minister said he would see if the trees were available, and Mr Jessep undertook to supply the labour for planting. It was even possible that the board could assist in the maintenance, of the plantations, but allocations for any maintenance work were out of favour and were generally declined. BEAUMONT-CRAIGIE FLAT ROAD. A deputation from the Tuapeka County Council sought improved reading facilities for the settlers on the Beaumont-Craigie Flat road who were denied access to the railway. The stretch of road was about 5i miles, and had been rendered impassable when part of the route was taken for the Roxburgh railway line. A slip on the hillside had aggravated the position and the result was that neither the county nor the settlers could shoulder the cost or restoration. The County Council’s case was put by Mr J. R. Simpson, who said the road had been cut to pieces when the railway was constructed. The Railways Department and the Public Works Department had undertaken to return the road in its original condition, but had failed to do so, and now refused to move in the matter Further, the Tallaburn bridge was definitely unsafe and would have to be redecked.- It was a 74ft structure and its repairs would cost more than the county could afford, as the total rates from the settlers along the road were about one pound. _ Messrs John Bennetts and John George also spoke. Answering the Minister’s query about the possibility of a dual track on the railway bridge by a statement that the Railways Department refused to countenance anything of the sort, the county engineer (Mr A. Grant) said that the cost of a new top for the Tallaburn bridge would be £6OO. In a further answer to Mr Hamilton, he said a two to three-ton road would suit the case. Mr Hamilton said the Unemployment Board would do what it could, and he would also get the different departments concerned together and see what could be arranged. ANXIOUS TO ASSIST.

Explaining the object of the visit to Central Otago, Mr Hamilton said that he had with him representatives of the Unemployment Board, the Public Works De partment, and the Mines Department, all of whom were anxious to assist in the development of schemes which local opin ion thought practicable and desirable They hoped that in all the propositions put before them this week there would be some that would comprise a useful con tribntion to the scheme of gold raining relief under which 3000 to 4000 men were now engaged.