UNEMPLOYMENT,

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18796, 7 February 1931, Page 21

UNEMPLOYMENT,

REGIONAL SCHEME APPROVED “THE MEN WANT WORK.” A meeting of the South Canterbury Unemployment general committee was held in the Borough Council Chambers yesterday to discuss the adoption of the regional scheme proposed by the Mayor of Timaru, which is to work in connection with the No. 5 Scheme as set out by the Unemployment Board. There were present the Mayor of Timaru, Mr W. Angland (chairman), Rev. Clyde Carr, M.P. for Timaru, Ven. Dean Holley, Rev. H. T. Peat, Rev. P. I. Cooke, Archdeacon W. H. Monaghan and Messrs W. J. Black (Farmers’ Union), J. Kennedy (Mayor of Geraldine), K. Mackenzie (chairman Geraldine County Council), H. J. Mathers (Power Board), G. McKessar (Labour Department), A. Craig (Waterside Workers’ Union), J. E. Chiles (Unemployed Committee), J. K. Snedden (General Labourers’ Union), T. C. Palliser (School Committees’ Association), H. G. Naylor and A. Goodall (South Canterbury Hosptlal Board), L. M. Inglis (Returned Soldiers’ Association), C. E. Kerr (Levels County Council), E. Chapman and A. W. Buzan (.Temuka Borough Council).

Chairman Wanted. At 3 p.m. the time for which the meeting was called, the Mayor was not present. Mr Goodall: “Tm a very busy man; I move that Mr Carr take the chair.’ This was seconded by Mr Peat. The secretary (Mr E. Killick); “Is the meeting in favour of Mr Carr taking the chair?” Mr Kennedy: “No.” On a show of hands the meeting agreed to wait until 3.15 p.m. The Mayor arrived at 3.7 p.m., and apologised for lateness, stating that he had been present at another meeting. The secretary, the Town Clerk (Mr E. Killick), explained that the first business was to consider the matter of dealing with unemployment on a regional basis, and to ascertain which delegates were prepared to agree to the Mayor’s scheme as circulated. It was suggested that those who were prepared to agree to the suggestion should thereupon form themselves into a regional group leaving those who were not prepared to agree to deal with their own problems or to come into the group later on. Secondly they should then re-constitute the whole local Unemployment Committee so as to include a representative of each local body that agreed to join the group. The third business would be to consider the circular from the Unemployment Commissioner relative to the No. 5 scheme, and the fourth to decide as to the executive and secretary of the Unemployment Committee.

Regional Scheme. Referring to the regional scheme Mr Killick said that this proposal hinged on the attitude of the Unemployment Board. If the Board gave a grant to a regional group, it would operate; if the Board made grants to individual bodies within the region, the scheme would hardly operate. He said that the scheme apparently had the endorsement of the Unemployment Commissioner as the Committee had received a telegram which read: “You may operate under Scheme Number Five, Rule Seven, ‘with the local authorities of your district.’ ” Mr Mathers then moved and Mr Craig seconded, that the regional scheme be approved. Mr Mackenzie said that there were ninety unemployed in the Geraldine district, and the Borough and County Councils considered that with difficulty they would be able to provdie work for that number. In view of the fact that they intended looking after their own unemployed he did not think anything more could be expected.

The chairman explained that the scheme did not aim at taking away local control and administration, but simply to allow of a local sub-com-mittee with a representative on the district executive. Geraldine would go on in the same way as they were at, present operating. There was a tendency. he said, for people in the country to find their way into the towns in search of work, and uniform control would do a good deal to obviate that. Mr Naylor said it appeared to him that the regional scheme aimed at cooperative help. If there was a surplus in one district, then another district, more fortunate, might be in a position to absorb some of the unemployed.

The chairman said that such was the case.

The secretary explained that the Unemployment Board had approved of the suggestion.

Mr Buzan said that the Temuka Borough Council were not altogether in favour of the scheme without hearing the discussion. Since the first scheme had been presented by the Mayor of Timaru, the Board’s No. o scheme had been submitted, and it seemed as if they might be able to secure sufficient money from the Board to meet the problem in the district. There were forty unemployed in Temuka, and there was difficulty in securing work locally. They wondered if it would be possible to find them work outside of Temuka.

The chairman explained that that was the idea of the regional scheme. Mr Kennedy said that the Geraldine Borough Counsil approved of the initial scheme as submitted by the Mayor, but since the presentation of No 5 scheme, they considered that the latter met the position without the first scheme, which at the time was a splendid one. They associated with the County on the matter, and agreed to meet the problem together, and arrange the administration and registrations between the two Council’s officers. The Mayor’s scheme was a good one, but since the introduction of No. 5 scheme, it had cut the ground from under the feet of the previou proposal. Mr Mathers said that the unemployment problem was anything but a small matter, and was going to last for some time. Unless regional schemes were adopted, there would be a danger of a breakdown in the whole affair.

Mi- Naylor was of opinion that th< No. 5 scheme made it all the mori necessary to face the problem on i regional basis.

Mr Carr asked Mr Kennedy why the No. 5 scheme had cut the ground from under the feet of the regional proposal presented by the Mayor. Personally he thought that the two schemes would operate together, and he hoped that the meeting would agree. It was not a parish pump matter, but for whole-hearted co-oper-ation with a view to placing all unemployed to best advantage. Mr Kennedy said he based his statement on the apparent need for more overhead costs of administration. The Mayor said that no additional cost would be necessary. The country committees would function exactly the same as a present. Mr McKessar said there was a tendency for a number of men to come into their district and pick the eyes out of the work. The Committee would be able to keep in touch with the needs, and select the men to best advantage.

After further discussion the motion was carried, and it was agreed to add the Mayors of the Boroughs and chairmen of local bodies who haxi agreed to participate in the regional scheme, to the executive committee. Mr J. E. Chiles representing the Timaru unemployed was associated with the executive also. “Thousand Mouths to Feed.” Mr Chiles: “Wtwt are the prospects of work* in Timaru at present?” The chairman: “As soon.as we know

of the money available. The Council have held a special meeting and have instructed the engineer to report.” Mr Chiles: "How soon will you be able to put this in operation.?” The Mayor: “As soon as we find out about the money.” Mr Chiles said that the meeting appeared to be wasting time in discussing the position. Apart from the Wai-

mataltal scheme, the men had been given little work, and with 1000 mouths to feed in Timaru the unemployed considered that the position was serious. It was no use dilly-dally-ing and saying that the schemes would be put into effect. They had been doing this for about a fortnight. The unemployed were disgusted. So far they had been very orderly, but they were finding it hard to keep quiet. “It is a waste of time talking so much as we have been doing this afternoon. Try to get something going immediately,” he said. The chairman said that that was the object of the meeting. He did not agree with Mr Chiles that there were a thousand mouths in Timaru to feed. He said that £20,000 had been provided by the Council for unemployment relief.

Mr Chiles: “That might have been so in the past. It is the present we want to consider.”

Mr Killick: “Mr McKessar has spent every penny of the money that has been authorised.” He enumerated the works that had been provided by the Council, and said it was hoped to get further work started right away. Mr Carr said he did not think that Mr Chiles had been exaggerating in any way. He knew that when there had been 260 unemployed in Timaru (and there were more now), that their total dependents were one thousand. The position in Timaru was desperate and he thought the .meeting should urge the Government to put something in operation at once. The Waimataitai job and others had been all right while they had lasted, but in the meantime men were walking the st: eets.

Mr Peat pointed out that under No. 5 scheme it rested entirely with local bodies to provide the work, and the Unemployment Board would find the money. Mr Craig said that some men who had been unable to pay the levy of 7s 6d had been refused work. He thought this was rather hard if the men did not have the money. The Government should be asked to provide that the money be taken out of the first pay. Mr Carr said that this could be arranged, providing the employer made himself responsible for the levy. Ir. reply to a question from Mr Carr, Mr McKessar stated that there were at present 198 married men and 113 single men out of work in Timaru. Of this total 46 had never been registered locally before. Mr Can* suggested that represent-

atives of local bodies should stay behind to endeavour to arrange certain work at once. The Mayor said that the Council would have to await the report of the engineer. Mr Peat said :t was the business of the local body representatives to find the work on a rational basis as provided for in the scheme. All they had do was to emnlov the men and collect the money from the Board. Mr Inglis was of opinion that the Council meeting might be expedited to consider the engineer’s report. Several suggestions of work within live Borough were advanced, and the Mayor agreed to call a special meeting the Borough Council for Monday night Position of Secretary. Mr Killick advanced several reasons why he would be unable to carry on as secretary to the Committee. He had strongly urged that the Hospital Board as being the regional body, should provide the necessary machinery and secretary. They, however, had declined, and therefore the Committee would have to look elsewhere. Th« position was too onerous to be undertaken by amateur means, and some existing machinery must be made use of. As a matter of fact the brunt of the work was falling on Mr McKessar. He was already overworked, and if the Government were asked- to strengthen and permit him to accept the position the Committee should have an experienced officer representing the whole region and possessing all the requisite machinery. Mr McKessar agreed to accept the position provided he would be given extra assistance. It was decided, on the motion of Mr Kennedy, that Mr McKessar be appointed, and that with Mr Carr s assistance, representations be made ’o the Government to provide him with more assistance.

WORK FOR 500 MEN. ACTION BY UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD. The Unemployment Board has been in collaboration with the Native Trust Department concerning a scheme for the relief of unemployed on developmental work on the Motuweka and Aohanga stations. The former is in the vicinity of Porangahau. in Hawke’s Bay province, and Aohanga is a few miles farther south, in Wellington province. , Eight stations on the East Coast of the North Island are being administered by the Native Trustee, and a schedule of developmental work at present in progress and to be undertaken during the year 1931 shows that the estimated labour cost of this work is £41,975. The work to be done on Motuweka comprises 1000 acres of scrub-cutting, sowing approximately 2000 acres, about five miles of fencing, various buildings, and miscellaneous labour. On Aohanga 8000 acres of scrub-cutting is to be done, 12,000 acres of grass-seed, erecting approximately 70 miles of fencing, various buildings, ploughing, stock yards, etc. The present carrying capacity of the stations is 40,288 sheep and 3,329 cattle, but it is estimated that the aid of the Unemployment Board will result in increasing the carrying capacity as follows:-72,988 sheep 5,029 cattle, 800 dairy cows. Only 28 permanent hands are employed on the stations, but during the busiest parts of the year a total of 209 casual workers are engaged. The work on the two stations named will absorb for at least two months, the labour of 500 at present unemployed men. The withdrawal of 500 men from the overcrowded labour market is a satisfactory feature, and later on its beneficial effect will be noted in the increased productivity of the areas.