FOUR MONTHS WORK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20892, 23 November 1937, Page 6

FOUR MONTHS WORK

DISABLED MEN TO BENEFIT RESERVES TRAINEES Four months full time employment as trainees of the Reserves Department will be provided for 10 disabled men by the Timaru Borough Council, according to a decision it reached last night. The District Employment Officer (Mr E. C. J. Foot) advised that, where local bodies were willing to undertake a comprehensive training scheme for disabled men, the Department would be willing to consider making a subsidy available. The curator (Mr A. W. Anderson) recommended the scheme as well worthy of serious consideration. He had ascertained that a similar scheme was in operation in Christchurch, where the whole of the wages were paid by the Government. Bearing hi mind the fact that there was nothing on the Reserves estimates to cover f i item, and that the Council was employing a number of men in the Scenic Reserve for whom no provision was made in the estimates, it might 3 possible for the Council to make arrangements similar to those made by the Christchurch Domains Board, whereby the Government would pi y the whole of the wages.

Opportunity For Training Mr Anderson proposed “lat the scheme should not cover more than 10 men, who would be given work in the Gardens and outside .eserves. Doth groups would meet the curator of Reserves at least once a week, when an opportunity would be given to ask questions of a horticultural nature, and a short talk could be given on some aspects of the week’s work. The men would take part in all the ordinary work of the department, including nursery work, and besides being instructed in the correct horticultural practice would be given theoretical training in the value of the operations they were asked to undertake. “It must be clearly understood that this co-operation at the invitation of the Labour Department is simply for the purpose of giving some gardening training with a view to assisting the men to obtain employment with the experience so gained," said ..Ir Anderson. “I recommend that arrangements be made whereby ten disabled men are emnloyed for four months in the Reserves Department at no extra cost to the Council.”

Cr. W. G. Tweedy pointed out that the Employment Officer referred to a subsidy, but he took it to be the intention of the Council that it should bear no expense at all. Cr. A. G. Foster, chairman of the Reserves Department, emphasised that the arrangements were that the Council would not have to bear any expense.