NEW WORK GIVEN

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1931, Page 9

NEW WORK GIVEN

DEVELOPMENT OF LANDS SUSPENDED RAILWAY LABOUR 740 FAMILIES PROVIDED FOR, SOME FOR ROAD SCHEMES EXTRA FOR SOUTHERN LINE By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. ah announcement that the Government had found immediate employment for 740 married men from four of the railway construction works closed down as a result of the recent suspensions was made, by the acting-Prime Minister, Mr. E. A. Ransom, to-night. The men are to be engaged upon large-scale land development works in various parts of the country and will be drawn from the railway camps on the Gisborrie-Waikokopu, Midland, Dargaville branch and OkaihauRangiah.ua lines. “Regarding the decision of the Government to suspend work on certain railway construction works an indication was given at the time of the announcement that every endeavour would be made to find work of a useful developmental character on which the men could be placed,” Mr. Ransom said. “Naturally, the just concern of the Government was tp make provision for married men, and this has now been prac- . tically accomplished. “The resident engineers on the Midland, Gisborne-.Waikokopu, OkaihauRangiahua and Dargaville railway works which have been suspended have been instructed to place 740 married men on various works throughout the Dominion. A total of 185 men will go to the Arapuni works, and 200 men will be placed on road-making at Muripara, 35 miles from Rotorua on Waikaremoana Road in connection with the-.development of the Galatea station comprising 22,300 acres, an announcement concerning which will be made on Monday, “The reading of the Mohaka block north of Wairoa which is being cut up for close settlement is being started at once by the 1 employment of 50. In addition road works are being commenced to open up Crown lands in "various centres and these will absorb a, number of men.”. .. . A table of works on which operations have been suspended, the number of married men on each and the allocation of each man was supplied by Mr. Ransom. This showed that 365 married men were engaged on the Gisborne-Waikokopu line, all of whom were being found other employment. Roading work on the Galatea block would absorb 200, Arapuni repair works 115 and roading of the Mohaka block 50. Ninety married men were employed on the Midland liue and 75 of these would be placed on the Tarakohe-Wainui Road. The remaining 15 were to be employed in “cleaning-up” work on the railway, and they would be absorbed on other work when this was finished. Married men working on the Dargaville branch line and the OkaihauRangiahua line totalled 311, of whom 150’ were to be placed elsewhere. A total of- 70 would go to Arapuni, 50 to th* .Whatoro-Gpouteke Road and 30 to the Donnelly’s Crossing-Waimatenui Road. MrJ, Ransom added that it was expected to complete arrangements this week for the absorption of the remaining 161 married men from various works. In addition, it had been decided to find work on the. South Island main trunk railway, and this would, mean that, other men would be taken on. Instructions were beings issued to take up -to 150 married men from Wellington and Christchurch.-