MUST RETURN MONEY

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 662, 16 January 1933, Page 7

MUST RETURN MONEY

Relief Allocation Cannot be Diverted. PROTEST TO BOARD. The ruling of the Unemployment Board that when workers under the No. 5 scheme went off the register on to private work, or on to any other schemes, the money allocated for them for that week must be returned to the board, was criticised at a meeting of the Citizens’ Unemployment Relief Committee to-day. It was decided to protest to the board that its decision would bear harder on those men who were not even fortunate enough to be given work under the No. 5 scheme. The circular from the board added that on no account must the money be diverted to provide additional work for other No. 5 scheme men. It was essential that the transfer of men from scheme No. 5 to other schemes should be made effective so far as allocations were concerned with the least possible delay. Also, when men did not turn up on scheme No. 5 jobs on their due days, the money allocated for them for that day or days must also be returned, and must not be used, except in case of sickness of the worker, to give them work later in the week, or for giving additional work to other men. Encouraging Private Work. Every inducement must be given t.o encourage men. to accept private work, and, where such was obtained for more than fourteen days and the remuneration was greater than that which, would have been obtained on scheme No. 5, then the re-qualifying period of fourteen days, as set out in the rules of scheme No. 5, might be reduced at the discretion of the certifying officer, but in no case was the period to be reduced to less than one week. The chairman (Mr E. H. Andrews) said that it was not encouraging that, at a time when many men could not be provided for, there was no possibility of replacing with others those men who did not present themselves on the jobs. With the provision for reducing the re-qualifying period members would agree.

PROVIDING TOOLS

Fund May be Established for Unemployed. Practically all local bodies find it almost impossible to provide tools sufficient for the men whom they could employ on relief works, according to statements made at the meeting of the Citizens’ Unemployment Relief Committee to-day. The committee discussed the question of creating a fund for the provision of tools, and then referred the matter to the Citizens’ Relief Association for favourable consideration. Mr J. W. Crampton, who brought up the question, saicl that such a fund could be opened probably at the Central Relief Depot. The public could be asked to provide picks and shovels, or cash. “ There are not tools sufficient for the work on the Sumner causeway, though money is available for the work,” stated Mr R. T. Bailey, officer in charge of the Labour Department at Christchurch. Mr Scarf?: You are taking the heart out of the men by cutting down their time of work and providing little supervision, and now you will demoralise them further by giving them tools that any Tom, Dick and Harry may bring along. The committee should call the local bodies together on the question.