UNEMPLOYED AND THE MAYOR.

Southland Times, Issue 20539, 16 July 1928, Page 3

UNEMPLOYED AND THE MAYOR.

To the Editor. Sir, In your issue of Saturday an eulogy appears of his Worship the Mayor and his supposed efforts to provide work for the unemployed. I wonder if your representative was aware that the feverish activity suddenly developed by his Worship was actuated by his knowledge that he had to receive a deputation of unemployed on Saturday. His attack on the Prime Minister is only another instance of his desire to find a scapegoat for his masterly inactivity. It seems to me to be on all fours with the incident which occurred last winter when he told members of the Council that he had received no assistance whatsoever from the Borough Engineer in finding work. This was a mis-statement as it turned out that out of about 24 jobs found the engineer suggested 22, Councillor Brodrick one and Councillor Macalister one and his Worship none. He takes credit now for making arrangements to start 50 men on the Oreti Beach road. This work was suggested by a correspondent to the Press some time ago, but not until the suggestion of a deputation of unemployed was mooted did the Mayor wake up to his responsibilities. Furthermore, I have it on the best of authority that the suggestion to employ 50 men on the Oreti Beach road came from the en gineer and not from his Worship, yet he coolly appropriates the credit by leading your representative to believe that he was responsible for the suggestion. The Mayor also should know there is between £3,000 or £4,000 still unspent of the Unemployed Loan on which he can claim the Government subsidy of £1 for £1 at any time. He also knows that the engineer recommended the widening of the road on the other side of the Tweed street bridge by taking away the embankment which only serves as a breakwind. This road will require to be widened when the Oreti Bridge is built and has the advantage that 95 per cent, of the expenditure will be in wages. Because the engineer recommended this work the Mayor turned this proposal down on his own initiative with the excuse that it was not practicable and that there were engineering difficulties in the way. Here was an opportunity of carrying out a necessary work subsidized by the Government (a work which will require to be done in any case), but because the Mayor poses as an amateur engineer the unemployed must twirl their fingers until something else is found for them. If this work had been carried out, and it can be done yet, it would solve the whole unemployed problem in Invercargill as it will provide work for 100 men at award wages for four or five months with the Government subsidy. This work, if undertaken, will provide a vast quantity of spoil which can be used on reclamation work and create still further works to absorb unemployed men. In vie# of these facts I think the Mayor’s criticism of the Prime Minister was uncalled for and seems to be only one other ( attempt to blame others for his own mis- , takes. —I am, etc., > FAIRPLAY.