UNEMPLOYMENT

Southland Times, Issue 22728, 2 November 1935, Page 9

UNEMPLOYMENT

GORE COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Gore Unemployment Committee was held last evening when there were present Mr W. D. Shelton (chairman), the Rev. H. C. Orchard and Messrs W. O’Byrne, G. W. Whittingham, S. Newell, Joseph Hunter, M. M. Simpson, A. T. Newman and R. E. Melvin (secretary). The Commissioner of Unemployment wrote in reply to the committees request that the men employed on the Kaiwera road job should be relieved of wages tax. The letter stated that the men employed full time at standard rates or ruling wages were not entitled to exemption from the wages tax, even where their wages were subsidized by the Unemployment Board. A requisition was read from 18 men employed on the Kaiwera road job, asking that 12/- per day full time be paid on the job. The workers understood that 12/- per day was the rate paid by the present Government as standard and did not apply only to Public Works camp. A deputation consisting of Messrs G. Shiith and D. J. Sinclair waited on the committee in support of the requisition. They stated that a number of local men had been engaged in the Gore railway yards and were being paid at the rate of 12/- per day. This indicated that 12/- per day was accepted as the standard rate of pay l for casual work. In reply to a question the secretary stated that six men were affected on the railway job for a period of five Mr O’Byrne said that since the Government had adopted 12/- per day as the basic rate of wages the men on the Kaiwera job should be paid at this rate. Mr Newell said that in view of the inequitable proportion of the payment of wages, the County Council should make up the difference. Mr Whittingham said that Mr Bromley had offered to subsidize wages on special road jobs to the extent of 35/— per week. Mr Trapski was the only councillor who had work available and it was on this account that the work had been commenced. It was possible that the council would be prepared to reconsider its decision on the matter. The chairman said that the committee would no doubt make further representations on the matter to the authority and he hoped that the results would be satisfactory. Mr Hunter said he believed every member was sympathetic. It was decided to make representations to the Southland County Council that the men’s wages be increased to 12/- a day and the chairman and secretary were appointed a deputation to wait on the council.

A copy of a letter forwarded to Mr D. McDougall, M.P., in reference to representations made to the Hon. S. G. Smith during his recent visit to Gore was received from the Commissioner of Unemployment. The Minister stated that the question of issuing supplementary rations at Gore had been carefully considered, but the board regretted that it was not possible to accede to the request at present This additional measure of relief had been introduced in the larger centres to meet cases of extreme hardship, but generally speaking it was not considered that the position obtaining in the smaller centres and rural districts warranted this extra relief. In the smaller centres, however, necessitous cases were met by raising the classification of relief workers whose circumstances were considered such as to merit receiving additional assistance. Representations made to the local Certifying Officer in such cases would receive every consideration. So far as gold prospecting was concerned, reports received indicated that the results obtained in the Gore district did rot warrant the continuance of the scheme. Any unemployed worker in the district who desired to be placed on gold prospecting work should make application through the Certifying Officer at Gore, to the- Certifying Officer, Cromwell. The latter officer would be in a position to advise if there were any vacancies in the four counties in Central Otago.