USE OF RELIEF MEN

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1932, Page 8

USE OF RELIEF MEN

COUNCIL “NOT GETTING VALUE.”

BOROUGH COUNCIL DISCUSSION.

Contending that the Stratford borough was not receiving the value from relief workers that it should, that the best men were sent to work outside the borough and that farmers who could well afford to pay full wages were making use of subsidised labour, Cr. A. H. Trotter at the meeting of the Stratford Borough Council on Monday night indicated that in his opinion the borough should have the services of more of the ablebodied relief men. “I think the borough is entitled to more of the good men. I do not think the Unemployment Committee looking after our interests as it should, he said “Good men are sent to the mountain when the borough work, in my opinion, is more essential, and it seems the borough can carry on with the unfit men. Other sections of the community should have to take a fair proportion of the unfit workers.” , x .. Cr. Trotter went on to say that the council had purchased certain material and plant to be used on relief works, and now there were no men to use it. The council should insist on getting more unemployed men. Workers were being allotted to farmers who could afford to pay labour without assistance from the Unemployment Committee. The fact that the majority of the good workers were sent outside the town meant that the council had to maintain a large staff, and thus the ratepayers were penalised. The farmers who paid the Is m the. £1 levy were receiving 5s or 6s in return, but the people of Stratford “could go hang.” Cr. N. B. Fletcher, who for a time was chairman of the Unemployment Committee, said that other sections argued that the borough engineer kept the best men in Stratford. Farmers could not get men now even when they offered CT 5s and £1 10s a week, and Cr. Trotter’s remarks, even if they applied to past conditions, were now out of date. The engineer was very fair to all applicants for relief labour, but he had always kept the interests of the council in view first, and was still doing so. “Well, the best men are going to farms and the engineer is not having a fair run,” said Cr. C. R. Finnerty. “Of the 20 men on borough work last week veryfew were really fit for a good day s work, and some of them were only a hindrance. The engineer is not getting fair treatment, and while I know it is a busy time for farmers and that it is desirable to increase production I think the engineer has too many of the poorer workers left on his hands.” “The good married men went into camp and the good single men were forced to go into camp, and • apparently they prefer to stay in camp rather than to go to farms or return to the town,” remarked the town clerk, Mr. P. Skoglund.

The Mayor, Mr. P. Thomson, as one of the borough representatives on the committee said it had always been his policy to get the men out of the town on to productive work in the country. The relief workers had done excellent work in the town, but otherwise that work would not have been done for years to come. “I am not opposed to labour being sent to farmers who are in need, but I can quote dozens of cases where men on freehold farms have had unemployed workers,” Cr. Trotter stated. “The borough,” he added, “is every bit as entitled to have men as the mountain, and I wonder that the borough representatives on the committee have allowed it.” The work that had been done on East Egmont would bring much more revenue to Stratford than would the work on the streets, but if the council felt it was not satisfactorily represented on the committee he would be glad to stand down in favour of Cr. Trotter or anybody else, the Mayor retorted. Cr. Finnerty: There is an impression that the committee does not do much work but leaves it to the secretary. Is there an executive sub-committee? The Mayor: There is an executive. Every application for men by farmers or by men for work is closely investigated, and when members of the committee have no knowledge of a case consideration is deferred till information is obtained. “Why are the men at the mountain not sent to farms?” Cr. R. F. Harkness asked. “They are sent to the mountain till such time as application is made for them,” the Mayor replied.

ELTHAM SWIMMING CLUB.

RESULTS AT CLUB EVENING. The Eltham Swimming Club held a dub evening on Monday, the results being:— Junior boys, 25 yards: P. Shepherd (scr.) 1, R. Horrocks (Is.) 2. Men, 25 yards: T. Horrocks (25.) 1, F. Maslin (Is.) and G. Chamberlain (scr.) 2.

Men, dive: F. Maslin 1, G. Chamberlain 2, T. Horrocks 3. Men, 75 yards medley: G. Chamberlain (scr.) 1, F. Maslin (25.) 2, T. Horrocks (25.) 3.

OHURA DISTRICT NEWS. MEETING OF TOWN BOARD. At a meeting of the Ohura Town Board during the week it was decided that a fee of 20s be charged for permission to connect to the water mains recently laid down. The levy for the, year commencing on April 1, 1932, and ending on March 31, 1933, was to be a general rate of 4d in the £ on the unimproved value of all the rateable property in the Ohura town district, to be due on December 31, 1932. Accounts to the amount of £417 12s were passed for payment, the main expenditure being for piping and other materials for the laying down of the mains. Mr. J. Freeman was appointed works foreman to the board. The Methodist Sunday School on Wednesday held its anniversary. The afternoon was well' spent in games and sports on the sportsgrounds until 7.30 p.m., when the children assembled in the hall for a concert. Songs and recitations were given by the girls, while the boys gave a. short dialogue entitled “The New Boy.” A pleasing violin solo was given by George Stuart. Many parents and friends were present, all greatly enjoying the evening. A successful dance was held by the Tennis Club on Friday in the hall. Despite very showery weather the hall was comfortably filled with dancers, and an enjoyable evening was spent. Wagstaff’s orchestra supplied the music.