PLEASANT POINT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19308, 8 October 1932, Page 5

PLEASANT POINT

UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE. At a meeting of the Pleasant Point Unemployment committee, strong in- ■ dignation was expressed at the atL- ! tude of the Unemployment Board in ; the matter of weekly allocations to the ] committee. During the past two , months, a big effort had been made . to secure an increase in the allocation. : Figures had been forwarded to the Board, which showed that the average . weekly earnings, over a two monthly period, had been 16/- per week for three day men, and 24/- per week for four day men. The services of Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P., had also been secured ‘to endeavour to get an increase, but the Board wrote that it could nor grant the request, owing to the Pleasant Point allocation being on the san.e basis as other similar areas. Members expressed the opinion that something was wrong somewhere, or a certain amount of bluff was being used, as a case was stressed, men registered at the Levels County office and working on the same job as Pleasant Point men. were receiving 3£ days’ work per week, against 2h days by the local men of the same class. It was decided to ask the men to organise and take what action they thought fit. as, in the Committee s opinion, they were decidedly not getting fair treatment from the authorities. It is understood that the men intend holding a meeting in the near future to take the matter up. EXPERIMENTAL FARM. A meeting of the District High School experimental farm committee was attended by Messrs Roberts (chairman). Maze, Agnew. Wooffindin, Kelliher, Oborn, Wakefield and de Montalk, secretary and treasurer. The chairman reported that won- I derful help had been accorded the j committee from all quarters. The j whole farm was now under the plough. The whole of the work had been done j by voluntary teams and tractors, t which spoke volumes for the enthus- i iasm of those who had carried it out. | Seeds lime, manures and materials! had been donated from various quarters, and £lB had been promised in cash donations. Altogether a wonderful start had been made. The Department of Agriculture was very enthusiastic over the matter and was lending valuable assistance. There was no doubt that the farm would prove a great boom to the district once it was properly under way. After routine business had been transacted, the meeting adjourned to the town hall, where Messrs J. H. Smillie and W. Stafford addressed a public meeting. The former dealt with the application of lime to the soil. Mr Stafford, of the Agricultural Department gave a very interesting and instructive address on the advantages of laying down pastures with certified perennial ryegrass. A number of lantern slides were used by the speaker. Mr Stafford stressed the value of perennial rye, both from food value and commercial viewpoint, using comparative lantern slides to prove his arguments.

Both speakers were accorded . very attentive hearings, and at the conclusion of their address, answered a number of questions.

On the motion of the chairman, each was accorded a hearty vote of thanks, which was carried by acclamation.

In returning thanks, the speakers congratulated the district upon having such an energetic Farm School Committee.