“ PUBLIC WORKS NOT A DUMPING GROUND.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18576, 26 September 1928, Page 14

“ PUBLIC WORKS NOT A DUMPING GROUND.”

MINISTER’S STATEMENT ANNOUNCES POLICY OF UNEMPLOYED RELIEF. The definite statement that the Public Works Department must not be looked upon as a dumping ground for unemxfioved, is made bv the Minister of Public Works (the lion K. S. Williams) in his Annual Statement, which he tabled in the House of Representatives last night. “Roadwork, both on ordinary roads and on highways, has been pushed on in an endeavour to absorb a large number of men who were unable to find work in civil avenues of employment, and, though this has resulted in works being undertaken which would not otherwise have been undertaken this year, no work has been done which could be criticised as wasteful,” says the Minister. “Every work is a work which will be an advantage to the Dominion as years roll on, and I am of the opinion that it is better to employ men on useful work, even though that useful work is not immediately necessary, rather than to face the alternative of having to pay what is commonly known as a 'dole.' I hoped when making my last Statement that it would not have been necessary to make such large provision for relief workers this year as was necessary last year. Unfortunately, the

reverse has been the case, because the local labour market always lags to a certain extent behind the returns from produce sent abroad; in other words, when there is a slump in receipts works then in hand are not stopped immediately. and, conversely, when, owing to better prices and crops, a larger amount of money flows into the country new enterprises are not started immediately; but I am quite confident that, with' the many millions of additional wealth which lias flowed into the country in the last few months, as the winter passes away avenues of employment will be opened up which will enable a!) the relief workers to be absorbed Already" there are indications in that direction. To give one specific instance: where one of my’ engineers was authorised to place 120 relief workers on a fairly’ convenient work, onlv thirty-six men could be obtained.”

Ihe Minister goes on to say that many genuine cases of hardship were met with and relieved by the employment offered by’ his Department, and other Departments, notably the Forestry'. Ilis Department, however, must not be looked upon as a dumping ground for unemployed. The large body of loy’al and efficient workers who now followed public works as a permanent occupation must be protected from being flooded out at certain periods of the year when work at other callings was short. A policy’ of throwing open work on public works to all unemployed would be to the. disadvantage of the State for the reason that it would mean a. shortage of work for the regular Public Works employees, and build up in the minds of outside casual workers the idea that work in the Department. would readily be available, and that there was little need to either hold down a job or make preparation for possible forced idleness.