AERODROME RELIEF WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1933, Page 3

AERODROME RELIEF WORK.

(To the Editor.) '' Sir,—ln your issue of 11 inst. you published a report regarding the refusal of two men to. erect fencing at the aerodrome, and in commencing such report you state that two men who had differed with the. foreman in charge of work at the New Plymouth Aerodrome. This statement is not quite correct, because I had no difference or argument of any description with the foreman, and I. feel convinced that the other man concerned can state likewise. I have worked for five, months under that particular foreman, Mr. J. Walshe, and I can conscientiously state' that during that* period I have found no fault with him in any shape or form, nor has he found any fault with my work. During ’the five months mentioned I was engaged upon what . I consider legitimate work in assisting in the • permanent improvement of- aero club’s grounds, excepting two days when ! was digging ground for a golf but immediately I/ discovered that ’such work was for the purpose mentioned I managed to evade doing. any more of it until last Monday morning, when I yas instructed to join a gang,of about 40 men in the erection of a fence for the purpose stated in the report above mentioned. I refused point blank to do .such, work; and informed the foreman that I would walk back to town rather than be used as a tool. for the improper expenditure of public money. However, the foreman told me that, there was a lorry going to’ town, and I could go on that. .1 did not refuse legitimate work, but I absolutely refused what I, honestly considered illegitimate work, , and if the Unemployment Committee can prove to me that: the work was in- order. I will publicly withdraw my remarks. I asked the Unemployment;, Committee who had ' authorised the expenditure * of money in such maimer, and ; the chairman, Mr. J. Brown, replied:- “That is our business.” Now I can assure Mr. Brown that such matter is the business of every person in New Zealand, and he and other membe - of the committee will be -well acquainted of such fact within a few weeks, because this matter is not going to stop at its present stage. If the local Unemployment Committee hqs .power to spend -unemployment funds in such a manner, and I don’t think it has, it is time the heads of the Uneinployment Board, from ’lr. Coates downwards, were put out of •positions whereby they allow useless, extravagant, unwarranted, unproductive expenditure of public . money. Mr. Coates is constantly preaching “more production,” which no doubt is a good sound policy providing it is backed up by more consumption, but I would , like to know how we are going to get “more production” from fences such ;as I refused to erect, golf links, and other work which has been done by unemployed labour at the aerodrome, .also over the whole of New Zealand. We. may get some extra production from the work done by the aero club’s unemployed gang on a property . adjoining the aerodrome. This work was “over the fence,” but not. under Mr. Coates’ scheme of that name. , I saw a notice stuck up at the aerodrome Which reads something like this. “Nine hole course. Visitors may play for Is per round.” But it does not state who pockets the shillings. Perhaps the visitors’ shillings are paid into the unemployment funds. If so, no one can have any. reason for complaint I told the committee that if the authorities concerned were unable to stop this extravagant waste, perhaps the workmen could. Some of .them will .make an attempt, which is more than the authorities are doing. If the whole of the 70,000 unemployed men in New Zealand were to make up their minds to do none but reproductive work a sudden ending would be the fate of extravagant waste such as the work in question. Every sane man must realise that in working upon reproductive works he is working for himself and his children irrespective of his daily wage, whereas working upon works as mentioned herein is a different matter.—l am,, etc;, ’

J. SCOTT. New. Plymouth, January 13.