EXPENDITURE OF R.S.A. CONTRIBUTIONS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19248, 9 December 1930, Page 14

EXPENDITURE OF R.S.A. CONTRIBUTIONS

CONDITIONS OF SUBSIDY DISCUSSED BY COUNCIL. Whether the. Returned Soldiers’ Association specifies that only members of the association should be given employment with funds granted to the City Council for the relief of unemployment was discussed by the council at its meeting last evening. As the council members were not clear on the point, it was decided to ask the R.S.A. for a report. The Reserves Committee reported that the secretary of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association had written intimating that the association had in hand the sum of £IOO for the relief of unemployed returned soldiers, and that it would pay this amount to the council on the understanding that it was subsidised by a similar amount. A sum sufficient to pay this subsidy was available, and the committee recommended that the offer be accepted and that application be made to the Unemployment Board for the payrfient of a further subsidy in accordance with its scheme for Christmas relief. In the meantime the superintendent of reserves had been instructed to prepare a schedule of works upon which this amount could be expended. It was anticipated that the principal work would be thinning operations at the Bottle Lake plantations. Councillor Lyons asked if it was not understood that when the R.S.A. gave money certain conditions were imposed. When they accepted the money, did not they accept the conditions that were laid down? Councillor E. 11. Andrews said that he was doubtful if the statement made that only members of the R.S.A. were employed was correct. The Mayor suggested that the matter might be reported to the association, and that body asked for a reply. Councillor Andrews remarked that he knew one returned man who was employed who was not a member of the association. The Mayor’s suggestion was agreed to and the report was adopted. CONDITION ATTACHED. An inquiry from Returned Soldiers’ Association officials last night elicited the fact that grants made by the association to local bodies to help provide work carry with them the condition that the work must be given to returned soldiers.