RELIEF WORKS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12441, 6 September 1933, Page 5

RELIEF WORKS.

FOREMAN'S OPINION. Electric Telegraph— T ress Association A UCK LA ND. September o. The Ouehunga Borough Council has been conducting reliet works for three years, and last night the foreman, Mr R. Gordon, made a report and recommendations. He said that the aggregate number of men employed was 600, which was equal to 270 men for the full time, but his estimate of their efficient strength was 90 men for the full time. “Disinclination to work, lack of ability, jpoor equipment, and intimidation toward those men willing to work on the part of the undesirable' element, are responsible for much of the loss of efficiency, together with the fact that the proportion of labour to available material is so hopelessly unbalanced that efficient results cannot be exl»ected,” he said. “My opiuion, after throe years’ experiem e of supervision of relief work, is that it w-otild be better for the Unemployment Board to take over the whole of the unemployed and pay the existing rates as a dole. In the event of a local body or private firm requiring labour it could draw on the board for such number ot men as would adequately man a job without excess, and thus maintain the standard of workmanship and labour that will l><? necessary in prosperous times.” r l he council will review the wholo question at its next meeting.