UNEMPLOYED REGISTRATION

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1931, Page 10

UNEMPLOYED REGISTRATION

SOUTH TARANAKI TROUBLES. COMMITTEE AND DEPARTMENT. The South Taranaki Unemployment Committee met yesterday afternoon, the Mayor of Hawera (Mr. E. A. Pacey) presiding. The secretary (Mr. J. E. Campbell) reported that with the initial grant of £5O the committee made its first commitment on December 16. Since then further grants totalling £2OO had been received and the committee had authorised an expenditure of £lBB 2s. That had all been used to subsidise employers of otherwise unemployed men on the basis of £1 for £l. Registrations to date totalled 123 men,jof whom 79 were married, with 228 persons totally dependent on them and 25 partially dependent. Forty single men and four widowers had six total dependents and five partial depeiidents. Some of the men had as many as nine persons totally dependent on them. Work had been found on a subsidy basis for 95 men. Of the remainder, many were physically incapable of doing the class of work offering, while some had registered and failed to report further as required. A total of 539 J days’ work had been provided for the men. Men had also been supplied for positions which carried no subsidy, but those were not included in the figures, nor was the work found or money spent by the Hawera Borough Council in its relief work under Scheme 1. In addition, a further special grant of £25 for those for whom work could not be found had also been administered. Forty to fifty men attended daily at the office seeking employment, ■ and it was distressing often to have nothing to offer. It was hoped some scheme would be evolved to provide work when harvesting was finished. Mr. Campbell stated that every applicant for work under the Act must complete an unemployment card at the Post Office and post it to the Labour Department, New Plymouth, and continue to renew the registration every two weeks if still unemployed. In addition, he must, if he required the assistance of the local committee, register with the secretary at the council ’ chambers and report every morning at 9.30 while still without work. Men who did not report were assumed, to be employed. Men who had not paid the first levy could under certain circumstances be temporarily exempted, but must make immediate application. Persons wishing to provide employment were requested to make their wants known as far possible ahead.

One question which had. caused, the executive much thought was the matter of how to deal with applicants from other districts. They had had several of those and their cases were often very distressing. Without food or shelter, and willing to work, and sometimes with wives and families in other towns, they presented a problem difficult of solution. It was not easy to have to pass them on feeling that nothing bright lay ahead. The majority of the men employed had given great satisfaction and many encouraging reports had been received from satisfied employers. The men on the other hand were generally appreciative of the treatment , they received at the hands of 'the employers. Many reports were current to the ■ effect that employers were discharging hands in Order that their services might be returned to them under subsidy. The committee had no evidence of the kind, and the signed statement of every man employed promptly disproved, such' allegations. The committee desired work for the men, and any person who would provide it in accordance with the schedule laid down by the Unemployment Board was entitled to the subsidy. The problem of the future was' work, and the committee would have to give much attention to the matter if out-of-work citizens were to be provided for. The matter was very, very urgent. It was generally considered that recipients of sustenance allowances except in the case of men physically unable to work should be required to do work of a public nature under the direction of a local body equivalent to the amount granted them. The Act should, if necessary, be amended accordingly. It was decided to forward a proposal along- these lines to the Unemployment Board. ■■ ■ ' With regard to Manaia unemployed Mr. J. S. McKay is to endeavour to find work for them in the district, Criticism was general with regard 'o the present system on which the South Taranaki committee had to rely for subsidies on the numbers of South Taranak! unemployed registered at the Labour Department, New Plymouth. It was stated that men were omitting to forward their fortnightljr re-registration cards to New Plymouth and the department there was totally misinformed oi the position in South Taranaki. It was decided to draw the attention of the Labour Department to the fact that the present system was cumbersome and unworkable and that the department be asked to take the South Taranaki local committee’s registrations as the basis of subsidies, or to establish a branch of the Labour Department at Hawera. PERSONAL ITEMS. Mr. L. O. Hooker left Hawera 'yesterday morning for Porirua on business in connection with the new radio installation at the mental hospital there. A ROYAL ROMANCE. MANAIA TALKIES FEATURE Romantic films have a firm hold on the movie-going public. . Despite the temporary vogue for realistic sordid and sex dramas, the average man and woman revels in entertainment that is purely of the fanciful order. It gives the jaded mind the opportunity to forget about the humdrum of daily life and take a romantic journey. A Royal Romance,” the Columbia all-talking comedy of love and intrique showing at the Manaia Theatre, to-night and tomorrow night, is just that type of film. The character of the hero is likeable and appealing. He is the type of creative genius who follows the will-o-the-wisp of fancy blindly and has no practical side whatever. One accompanies him on his adventures into a fictitious foreign land where he falls in love with a beautiful and charming countess —exactly like the prince in the fairy tale. The elements of comedy so necessary in a picture of this type have not been neglected. In every situation of the film, there is a contrast between the fanciful and the actual makes for delightful entertainmoAt,