UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1932, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE

NORTH TARANAKI BODY MEETS. ROUTINE MATTERS ATTENDED. A meeting of the New Plymouth Unemployment Committee was .held yesterday morning. There were present Messrs. J. Brown, W. G. Reid, H. J. Blyde, R. W. D. Robertson, E. J. Carr and C. P. Smith (secretary). The Taranaki Hospital Board forwarded a copy of a letter sent to the Unemployment Board. Members took it that the letter was just an informative gesture and no action was taken. A letter from the relief workers’ section of the General Labourers’ Union was received and a deputation also attended to ask the committee to reconsider its views on the constitution of the proposed disputes committee, to the end that the committee should consist of two from each side and a chairman. 'A reply will be sent stating that the committee still believes one from each side enough, but will receive nominations for the position of independent chairman. The New Plymouth town clerk, Mr. F. T. Bellringer, forwarded extracts from the works committee’s report. The committee had submitted a verbal request for the council’s opinion in regard to the scheme providing that in urban areas relief labour under scheme 5 might be utilised on private property for gardening, wood chopping, section cleaning and subsoil drainage and trenching. The scheme provided that all labour should be engaged through a local body from amongst the eligible scheme 5 workers employed by the local body and that the local body should be responsible for insurance, transport and supervision of the workers concerned. The works committe recommended that the New Plymouth Unemployment Committee be informed “that the council is completely opposed to the scheme set out in the preceding paragraphs on the grounds: (a) That the workers will be scattered in all parts of the borough, not in groups, but singly without any possibility of any supervision on the part of the council; (b) that the scheme in practice will prove cumbersome and entail work upon those charged with its administration entirely disproportionate to the benefit accruing to the worker; (c) that private people in a position to continue their present practice of employing labour direct for gardening, wood chopping, etc., will take advantage of the scheme and in practice it will be found that the scheme will increase unemployment, and as all palliative schemes do it will assist in establishing unemployment as a permanent problem.” The letter was received. Various. and complaints