RELIEF IN COUNTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 335, 30 January 1932, Page 9

RELIEF IN COUNTRY.

Suspension of No. 5 Scheme on Monday. OVER 500 MEN AFFECTED It is estimated that upwards of 500 men will be affected by the decision of the Unemployment Board to suspend the No. 5 scheme in country districts during the duration of the harvesting season. The period of the suspension will operate in most cases from Monday and will fluctuate according to circumstances. Districts in the Canterbury province already notified to close down in accordance with the board’s decision are as follows: Paparua, Halswell, Springs, Ellesmere, Selwyn, Malvern, Tawera. Oxford, part of Rangiora, Kowai, Waipara, Cheviot, Amuri, part of Ashburton (including Rakaia, Methven, Springburn, Mayfield and Hinds), M’Kenzie (Fairlie) and Pleasant Point. It is understood that the notices have yet to be served on other country committees instructing them to close down the scheme for a period. In some districts it will not be possible for the board to entirely suspend the system of giving relief work, owing to the limited amount of work offering, and inthese cases only the allocations will be reduced.

It is difficult to estimate how long men in the districts affected will have to rely on their own resources for work, owing to different stages to which harvesting has been pushed up to date. At all events, it is thought probable that the board will have to continue the No. 5 scheme within a month or so as the harvest this year is disappointing, and a number of farmers are cooperating with one another in their work with the object of keeping expenses down to a minimum. With factors such as these operating, there is not likely to be the same amount of work offering as in previous years, and it may be necessary to resume the scheme in some districts sooner than in others. There is little fear that men from the country will drift to the cities, where there is already a great number of unemployed, for the reason that the committees in each small centre will be making every effort to place the men on their books. With one or two exceptions the suspension will take effect from next Monday. In the remaining cases it will operate from the following Monday.