A CHRISTMAS BOX

Southland Times, Issue 21578, 16 December 1931, Page 6

A CHRISTMAS BOX

ASSISTING UNEMPLOYED CITY COUNCIL TO FIND WORK THE MAYOR’S SUGGESTION 'T wish, gentlemen, to draw your attention to the position of our unemployed,” said his Worship the Mayor (Mr John Miller) at the conclusion of the business of the City Council last evening. “As you are aware Mr Coates has found £15,000 as a Christmas box for the unemployed in the Dominion. Invercargill’s allocation of this is £3OO, which will not go very far. This money will be distributed as follows: The men lately who should have been getting four days have been getting only three and a-half or three days a week; those who should have been getting three days have been getting only two and a-half or two; the two-day men only one and ahalf or one. For th* week ending December 24 our men should be off, but they will be kept on for what may be termed full time, that is, the four-day men will get four days and so on. That is all that the Government can do for the men under No. 5 Scheme. But although they are working for the week ending December 24 they are really only postponing their week off. In other words they will be off for the last week of the year. It is with the object of providing work for this last week that I am bringing the matter up. I suggest that the council should give them work from December 28 to December 31. The cost to the council will be about £790. The money is there, gentlemen. You raised a £5OOO loan for unemployment relief purposes. Make it a Christmas box for the men. I think they deserve this considers!ion.” Councillor Tattersficld said he believed the ratepayers would be behind the council in voting the money. He moved that work be given to the men for the week commencing December 28. Councillor Macalister: That will mean in place of their having a week off they will receive employment. His Worship: Yes. Councillor Macalister said he did not wish to oppose the motion which he would second pro forma. “Yet I think the council should remember,” said he, “that there are very hard times ahead. The wells of charity' are already pretty well dried up. I question the wisdom of eating into the reserves in such a way; but I will not oppose the motion if councillors are in favour of it,” The motion was carried without dissent. MEAT FOR DISTRIBUTION. Last evening his Worship the Mayor (Mr John Miller) received the following telegram from the Unemployment Board: “The Health Department is arranging for the distribution of meat for Christmas relief. The supply will be sent to Invercargill on request.”