WORK ON FARMS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1931, Page 6

WORK ON FARMS

EMPLOYMENT SCHEMES BOARD TO PAY MEN’S WAGES FARMER TO PROVIDE KEEP MONTH MINIMUM PERIOD SUBSIDY PLAN ALSO READY Two new schemes of the Unemployment Board, schemes No. 4A and 48. were explained by the Hon. S. G. Smith (Minister of Labour) to the Farmers’ Union and the North Taranaki Unemployment Relief Committee in New Plymouth yesterday. The schemes aim at the absorbing of unemployed in productive work.

“In addition to the No. 5 scheme,” said Mr. Smith, “the board has brought out scheme 4A, by which it hopes to place a large number of men in the country for a longer time than it can under the No. 2 scheme. For the success of its scheme it desires the cooperation of the Farmers’ Union.” There were 80,000. farmers in New Zealand. Of that number 30,000 were subject to land tax and 4000 had to provide income tax returns. Under the 4A scheme the board proposed to askj the farmers to take men for work pii stumping, draining and fencing, andthe board would pay wages up to 15s. a week for single men aiid 255. a week: for married men. The farmer would give the men found and keep, and if a man was worth it,, pay him- a.-small

wage as well. The board believed that in a week or two it could place a very large number of men with farmers under :the 4A. scheme. Each farmer would have to sign a declaration that since September 1, 1930, he had not discharged any employee to take advantage of the benefits of the scheme. Workers(could be engaged for periods ranging from four to 26 weeks. HOME.FOR THE WINTER. “If we can put 2000 men out on the land this winter,” said Mr. Smith. “It will be much better for them to be in the country doing developmental work than staying in the town. They will at least have a home for the winter, a job, and be earning a little money.” Under the 4B scheme the board intended to subsidise farmers engaging men under the contract system’ up to 33 1-3 per cent, with a limit to each contract of £75. In those cases the men would have to .make their own arrangements for accommodation and keep. The scheme would be handled by the Commissioner of Crown Lands, whose rangers would keep in touch with the work and i inspect the contracts. The banks had assured the board that they would support farmers under this scheme, as it was really productive work. In the labour bureaux in Wellington’

and Auckland, said Mr. Smith, he had found a fine type of New Zealander with no home, no work, and no job. They were there in hundreds. Under this scheme it was hoped to absorb these young men. Hundreds of decent, elean-living men found themselves cut off from the' occupation they had been engaged in for perhaps .30 years. Skilled men who never knew what it was to be without work found themselves -with nothing to do in their line of business. They might have saved money, or ■ have n considerable equity in property, but lack of work had eaten up their capita!. Among the nqmbers of unemployed were hundreds of men who . had been, farmers and. had been forced to leave their farms.

PAST SCHEMES TEMPORARY. Wllat the board had done before Christmas had been merely matters ot expediency, Mr. Smith continued, and the board had had to disregard what it intended to make some of its guiding principles. So far as finding work was concerned, the schemes had been effective. The board was unanimous that the success of any scheme depended on its economic value. Schemes must be consistent with a policy. To a question from Mr. H. Jones, Mr. Smith said the scheme would come into operation immediately. The farmer would apply to the local unemployment committee and would be provided with carefully-selected unemployed men. The farmer would not have to pay anything if the;man vvps willing to accept 15s. a week and his keep and housing. On behalf of the Stratford executive. Mr. Hunt said they would be pleased to co-operate in the schemes. On the small holdings of Taranaki there might be difficulty in finding ac- , commodation, said Mr. B. White, who suggested the use of the movable houses used by the Public Works' Department. Mr. Smith thought the cost of transport would be too great. Replying to the chairman (Mr. H. Blyde) Mr. Smith said the farmer would have to bear the cost of insurance, which would be covered by the ordinary policy which most farmers had taken out. Mr. Blyde thanked Mr. Smith for his explanation and assured him that the union would do all in its power to provide for developmental work on farms. The secretary was instrdeted to c.rcularise the branches, aiding-them to do all they could to provide work for the scheme.