AWARD RATE PAID FOR RIVER WORK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18149, 7 May 1927, Page 2

AWARD RATE PAID FOR RIVER WORK.

LABOUR COUNCIL WILL HELP WITH CONCERT.

“You can certainly rely upon the rate cf 15s 4d being paid to unemployed on river work put in hand through the proceeds of the forthcoming concert.'’ wrote Mr R. 13. Owen, in reply to a letter from the Trades Ilall Unemployment Committee. “It may be said that there is a strong feeling among many friends of the unemployed that the gardeners’ award rate of wages should be paid when men are working on this class of work, rather than the general labourers’ award, which is slightly higher. This point, 1 think, should be left to the City Council to decide as a condition of their subsidy, as was done in 1922; this would relieve one of a lot of argument.” Mr Owen is helping with the arrangements for the concert, organised by Messrs G. Bennett and E. L. Hills, to be held next Thursday week. The funds will be devoted to putting in hand work for the unemployed on river bank improvement near the heart of the < ity. In response to an earlier letter from Mr Owen, the Trades Ilall Unemployment Committee wrote that its members would give every assistance to the concert provided that the general labourers’ award rates were paid to workers on the improvement schme. “One point I would strongly urge in the interests of those in need,” continued Mr Owen, in his reply, “and that is that every man emploj’-ed should play the game; if loafing is tolerated you may be sure there will be a host of critics on hand ready to denounce the unemployed and the Labour Council. My own impression is that the average citizen is very sympathetic so long as the men are triers. How best to deal with the other class is a problem I think we all should try to solve. Something in the way of reclamation should be attempted.” “I mean reclamation of men as well as of land,” said Mr Owen, when asked to define the meaning of the last sentence in his letter. “There are far better ways of attempting to reform a man than by sending him to prison, which often hardens him. Most men are good fellows under the surface, and work is a great reclaimer of character.”