RATIONS ISSUE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17820, 1 July 1932, Page 11

RATIONS ISSUE

BOARD'S SEtt ORDER EXTfeA WOES AVAILABLE Inforiaation was received to-day by Hospital Board from the .Minister of the Hon. Adam Hamilton, regarding, the arrangements made by the Unemployment Board to ' take over responsibility for fit men capable of performing work, and thus .relieving tire hospital boards throughout the country of the financial* strain qf. issuing rations to the destitute families of these men. The feature of the new arrangement is that the hospital boards’ figures for relief over the past few months will be employed in the provision of the alternative relief distressed families. A statement, issued yesterday, in reply to the general protest of the hospital boards throughout New Zealand, m was to the effect that, the Unemployment Board- proposed to take oyer responsibility for the men who are adjudged able to work in return for re- . lief. Men incapacitated l from work of any kind, and those who are fit only for fight Work in the towns, will reUiain the responsibility of the hospital boards; except Where*, in special circumstances, the Unemployment Board is abTe to give assistance. All other classes of men. requiring relief will be cAUed on to work for this relief, which •Will be administered by the officers ot the Labor Department on a scale which ‘ apparently feaves much to the discretion of the officers concerned. She instructions issued to the Labor Department's officers indicate that the ifki cost of relief given by hospital- hoards in the past few months will be taken as the basis for district grants- for the Same purpose, which, ot (Soursn. will be additional to the -Htßjlrlt allocation for relief works under ik*. ora sobeme. This intimation is an apsufaheb that the transfer of the outKdnor relief expense from the hospital boards to the Unemployment Board wift not mean a drastic cutting-down of the relief obtainable. The new arrangement is to come into •jget ott- Monday, and in the intervening, two or three days the Cook Hos pital Board- will maintain the outdoor rnftnf service On' behalf of distressed families of able-bodied workers. The district- member, Mr. D. W. Coleman, be«u advised by the Minister of Employ merit to acquaint himself with lDe directions-,issued' to the Labor DeMitnfenUs office at Gisborne, and to aaivioe the Minister of any difficulties that may arise,- this request coming in ntly to Mr. Coleman's telegram to the -fffriWbnt,. published! yesterday in the