UNEMPLOYMENT

Southland Times, Issue 22038, 10 June 1933, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT

THE GORE COMMITTEE. At a meeting of the Gore Unemployment Committee on Thursday evening there were present: Messrs W. D. Shelton (chairman), J. Sleeman, G. W. Whittingham, R. W. Noake, F. M. Murray, A. J. Middlemiss, S. Newell, W. O’Byrne, Joseph Hunter, A. T. Newman and E. Melvin (secretary). A report from Mr J. Sleeman suggesting a gardening competition was received. It was decided to refer the matter to the newly-constructed gardening committee consisting of Messrs Sleeman, Newman, O’Byrne, Shelton, and the Rev. H. C. Orchard. It was decided to pay a visit to the K'apuka camp to obtain first hand information. Two requests for transfers to Gore from other centres were approved. The secretary of the Southland Unemployment Committee advised that it had been decided to discontinue the operation of the gold-mining scheme at Gore and its environs after June 10 as the poor results obtained by the men did not justify its continuance. Advice was received from the Southland executive that the following works were approved: Waimumu, clearing ditches; Winton-Mataura highway, cleaning old channel and watertables; Waimumu-Mataura road, cleaning water-tables; Pukerau, preparing stock road; Gore school, hedge cutting. The following circular was received from the Southland Executive in regard to the issue of meat to unemployed:— To assist in local unemployment relief the Southland Frozen Meat Company, Ltd., has advised that a subsidy obtained by it under the No. 10 Scheme will be made available for the issue of meat in Southland to the families of men who are unemployed. In pursuance of this undertaking an allocation of 10 carcasses of mutton per month has now been arranged for your district for distribution -at the discretion of the local committee. Future issues will be made ex the Southland Frozen Meat Company’s Mataura works once in each four weeks, the first distribution to be made during the week ending June 14. It is recognized that generally anything which is given or done for nothing is seldom appreciated whilst, on the other hand, the most worthy section of the unemployed would doubtless prefer that they should pay something for what they get. It is recommended, therefore, if this course is at all practicable, that a small charge should be made for the meat or other goods that are distributed, the funds so obtained being utilized for the purchase of other goods for issue to those who are in need. This is the basic principle adopted in most of the depots elsewhere. In Invercargill the depot charges for meat have been fixed as follow: Hind legs IJd per lb, forelegs Id per lb, loin Id per lb. The chairman said that this was a serious matter so far as Gore was concerned. Up to the present the Gore Relief Depot received approximately 70 carcasses a month. The circular proposed to reduce this to 10. It was decided that Mr Whittingham 'nterview the Southland Executive on the matter at the first opportunity. Mr Shelton reported on the interview of the deputation comprising Messrs Shelton, Whittingham, Newman and Murray with the Southland Executive in regard to labour under No. 5 Scheme. This had resulted satisfactorily.

After discussion it was decided to place 12 additional men with the borough on approved works.