UNEMPLOYED CAMP PLAN

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1932, Page 12

UNEMPLOYED CAMP PLAN

WAITARA-TARATA ROAD LINK, PROPOSAL ON OTARAOA ROAD. Providing the settlers concerned are prepared to find £1290 towards the cost of the work there is every probability that au unemployed relief camp will be established in the Tikorangi riding of the Clifton County to complete the formation and metalling of the Otaraoa Road, about five miles. That will allow direct traffic all the year between VVaitara, Tarata and the back country, besides giving the settlers in the district metalled access. The settlers had previously offered to find £750 if a camp were established, as well as finding £ll4 for work “over the fence.” The Clifton County Council yesterday considered the offer was too good to be missed, even though the amount to be contributed w.as greater than had been anticipated, and it was decided to make further inquiries with a view to placing the position before the settlers concerned in an endeavour to make the necessary arrangements for finance. The chairman, Cr. H. A. Foreman, said that since the last meeting, when trie Otaraoa Road proposal had been brought before the council, he had visited Wellington with the engineer and had waited on the Minister of Public Works and the Unemployment Board and had placed before them proposals to establish camps at the Otaraoa Road, the Mangatoro, Okau and Mohakatino Roads. He considered the Okau Road the most, important, as it would some day be a through road from Taranaki to. the Ohura and Taumarunui districts. He had made it clear that there was no possibility of the settlers raisiiig a loan to extend the metal on that road. He had also suggested that an unemployed camp should be established to carry out the proposed deviation at the Urenui hill. Subsequently they had interviewed Mr. Tyndall, engineer to the Main Highways Board, who stated that the Main Highways Board had no funds available and would not therefore be able to find any money for erecting the camp or transport charges. So far, continued the chairman, they had received nothing definite about the matter. That morning, however, Mr. Fookes, the county engineer, had been informed by Mr. Keller, the district engineer, that the Otaraoa Road work had been favourably considered and there was therefore a probability that it would be proceeded with, provided the council could' find its share of the money. The settlers of the district had offered to find £750 towards the cost, the money to be advanced by the council and repaid by the settlers over a period of three years, and in addition £ll4 had been promised towards work “over the fence.” Mr. Keller had, however, informed the engineer that the Unemployment Board would not consider the proposal unless the settlers interested found £1290 towards the cost. The engineer said the estimated cost of the work, if let by contract, was £7OOO. The. position regarding unemployment relief camps was that the Unemployment Board estimated the cost per man at 41s per week, including cost of keeping the men, erecting the camp, tools, cartage, etc. That amount was subsidised to the extent of 25s a week by the Unemployment Board, leaving the other l~6s to be provided by the local authority and the Public Works Department. He understood the Unemployment Board was subsidising the men in the Wiremu Road camps in the Egmont County at the rate of 30s a week, so he considered it was unfair to penalise the Clifton County settlers to the extent of 5s a week per- man. Mr. Keller, however, had pointed out that the Unemployment Board funds were so low. that the board had to reduce the subsidy and that it might yet be necessary tp curtail it even more. Air. Fookes Suggested that if the council was to take up the offer it should be done quickly. The Egmont County Council had been in the field much earlier. Replying to Cr. Barnitt Mr. Fookes said that while Mr. Keller could give no guarantee, he felt fairly certain that the camp would be established if the £1290 was found, as the Unemployment Board looked on the matter very favourably both as a site for the camp and as a suitable and necessary work. The chairman said the riding account would have stood £750, and,if the council found that it could legally advance £1290 and could arrange with the bank to increase the overdraft on the security of the settlers concerned, the amount to be repaid in five years instead of three years, the council should consider it. Councillor Barnitt pointed out that the settlers who ■would benefit considerably by the work should agree to extend the term to five years. That was preferable to spreading the rate over 20 years, which they had been prepared to do by raising a loan. Councillor Phillips considered that it was too good an opportunity to lose. It was resolved that the chairman and engineer visit Stratford to-day and interview the district engineer with a view to placing definite proposals before the settlers concerned.

The charman stated that there was not much prospect of obtaining a camp at the Mangatoro Road as owing to shortage of funds the Unemployment Board looked more favourably on the No. 4a and 5 schemes, which cost the board considerably less per man; ■The chairman said he had pressed the point that the settlers were mostly Crown tenants, and that the work would improve the Crown’s property.