SHELTER FOR RELIEF WORKERS.

Southland Times, Issue 21716, 31 May 1932, Page 3

SHELTER FOR RELIEF WORKERS.

To the Editor. Sir,— May I venture to say that few will deny we have recently had a few days of extremely bad weacher and are looking to have many more during the next few months. Many so-called unemployed gangs are to-day working in very exposed places with no shelter whatever other than a flax bush which is often occupied by cattle or beasts of some kind when a man or men may get there. The problem of adequate permanent shelters for between heavy storms and dinner hours is of course out of the question, but may I suggest that in the absence of anything better those in authority would bestir themselves in the interest and slender comfort for the men by supplying two strong forked poles, one for either end, a ridge pole, and some side pegs, over which could be stretched a Railway tarpaulin. Numbers of these are lying about here and there. The men, I’m sure, would be only to willing to erect these shelters. The work could be done by a couple of chaps in 20 minutes. Such a shelter would be very much better than nothing, find the men could easily shift it from place to place as the work progressed. The conditions under which the men have to work would be bad enough if the men were getting good and reasonable wages, but with the miserable conditions and the miserable pay the men are compelled to accept, those in authority should show more consideration than they appear to be getting in the dead of winter. I am, etc., OLD TIMER No. 1.