LOAFING ALLEGED

Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1931, Page 15

LOAFING ALLEGED

MEN ON RELIEF WORK. UNDERTAKINGS AT OTAHUHU. » “We have a duty to the Unemployment Board and to the ratepayers to see that- a fair return is got for the money paid,” said Air. F. W. Grey at a meeting of the Otahuhu Borough Council on Thursday evening, in a discussion on the No. 5 unemployment relief scheme. Mr. Grey said he did not relish criticising the work done by the unemployed men, but the position had to be faced. The men were not pulling their weight. He gave details of visits paid by himself and another member of the council to various works in the borough, and said the men had been found loafing. Apart from this the progress of the works showed that the men were not working. Part of the blame was due to divided control, but the men were taking advantage of the borough’s attitude in giving preference to married men in rationing the work. ‘‘lf a man will not work neither shall he eat,”- said Mr. J. Hunter, who suggested that they should “bundle out” all men who were found loafing. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided to instruct all gangers to keep a record of men who were not giving a fair return in work and to stand down these men when work had to be rationed.