RATIONING PREFERRED

Southland Times, Issue 21729, 15 June 1932, Page 11

RATIONING PREFERRED

COUNCIL LABOURERS. Included in the engineer’s report to the City Council last evening was the following:— At present the amount of work to be done on ordinary works is not sufficient to provide employment for all men continuously and 26 labourers are on half-time. With the increased wages tax the result is that these men at present draw an average of £1 19/4 per week (£3 18/8 per week worked). Under these circumstances they are no better off than men on the relief works, who, if four-day class men, receive an average of £ll7/6, and in addition receive help from the depot. It seems useless to continue to carry this number of men since the situation is not a temporary one, and it does not seem that permanent employment for the whole numb r will soon again be available. To give full time employment 13 men would have to be dismissed. An alternative would be to dismiss seven men, when the remaining 19 would then receive an average of £2 19/- per week for work three weeks out of four. Concerning the above the Works Committee reported as follows:—Having received a report from the city engineer advising that 26 labourers in the Works Department were working half-time on account of the scarcity of work and recommending that either 13 of the number be given permanent work, thus throwing 13 out of employment, or that seven men be dismissed, allowinfig the remaining 19 to have three weeks’ work out of four. Recommend that the proposal to dismiss seven men and retain 19 be adopted. The committee regrets the necessity for this step. Councillor McKenzie opposed the clause, saying that he could assure the council the men concerned would prefer to be rationed rather than seeing seven dismissed. It was decided to ration the men.