A Digger Digs In.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20648, 24 June 1935, Page 6

A Digger Digs In.

Dear Sir,—l have read the reason given by our president and secretary why the new scheme was introduced—to give a fair distribution of work to unemployed members Well, it does nothing of the sort. In the past, if an unemployed member did not get his monthly allocation of work under the R.S.A. subsidised scheme, he received, instead, groceries or meat or coal weekly. Under this new scheme he does not receive any of the above, but if he puts one day's work in on the public domain he receives the 12s 6d in cash, instead of grocery or coal orders. If under this new scheme a member did his allotted day's work on the public domain during the first week of the month, and during the following three weeks he was offered bv a private employer two davs’ work under the old subsidy scheme, he would be unable to get the two days in question subsidised by the R.% -A., a* he had received his monthly allocation during the first week. Under the old scheme a member, if he failed to secure -work during a week of any month, received a 3s order for groceries. The following period of that month he was at liberty to accept two davs’ work, which meant the K.b.A. paid 13s in all for that month. 10s subside. 3s groceries, and the member received in all £1 Bs. This one instance will show where the new scheme is no good to anyone but the Domains Board. Where our president gets the idea from that the new scheme is a good one beats me. If this is allowed to go on those in power at the Metropolitan Relief Association would be quite justified in asking the unemployed to work to the value of rations received. Only in the case of the Kb.A. are the returned men being asked to work for monev which is rightfully their own. I would ask an open question: " hat interests have the R.S.A. in public domain works or boards’ They denied having any interests other than that of a settlement for returned men at Sandilands. Mhy could this money that is to be given to the Domains Board not be used in our own works such as Sandilands? If the mono has to be worked for, the last estimate of cost at Sandiland was £947 per acre. »o a few more pounds would not matter a great deal The returned man would know. then, that his labour was to benefit his disabled comrade. t)r let the R.S.A put > small sum aside to help in the education of returned men's children. Books, etc., have to be bought. One last question: Mho pavs for the supervision of the returned rinv'ctc.: WOrkinE W.’aRICALTON."