THE UNEMPLOYED

Waikato Independent, Volume XXX, Issue 2424, 6 December 1930, Page 5

THE UNEMPLOYED

LOCAL PREFERENCE. WHEREVER POSSIBLE. Considerable concern has been felt in Hamilton of late at the lack of consideration to applications made to the local Government Labour Bureau for employment. The matter has been investigated by the district member, Mr J. A. Young, and he has established that whereas scant consideration has been given to country and town applicants, on Thursday 70 men from Auckland city left that clay to take up work in one of the Waikato Counties. Mr Young lost no time in getting in touch with the Unemployment Board, and in reply the board chairman, Hon. S. G. Smith advises that the board has affirmed the principle that on relief work on which a subsidy has boon granted by the board, local unemployed are to receive preference. Labour Department officials dealing with the matter had been instructed to this effect.

A FURTHER ALLOCATION. SUBSIDY ON WAGES. ANOTHER £25,000. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, Yesterday. With the approval of the Minister of Finance, the Unemployment Board decided this evening to make a further £25,000 available, by way of subsidy on wages only, as a special measure for the relief of distress during the Christmas pcridd.' This amount will be allocated to ! the local committees, whose formation was urged by the board several days ago. In the present instance, which the board has called Scheme No. 2, subsidies will be granted on wages only in this instance, the rate being pound for pound, and the work for which the subsidy is given must be finished by the end of January. The rate of pay will be mutually arranged between employer and employee, and the subsidy will not exceed 7/- a day for the following classes of work: — Country Work: (1) Improvements to and maintenance of land by way of stone-clearing, stumping, draining, fencing, rush-grubbing, burning gorsc, eradication of noxious weeds, scrubcutting, and work of a similar nature; (2) harvesting; (3) ploughing and harrowing; after clearing only. .•■ City; : - Town and'- Borough-'- Work.— Gardening, "' wood-chopping, section clearing, subsoil drainage, trenching, and clerical work.' Diseussing .the question of local pieference with the district member, Mr F. Lye, yesterday afternoon, he expressed satisfaction at the Unemployed Board's attitude towards local preference. It was highly desirable, that wherever possible local men out of woik should be employed and receive a share of the money provide:! by the district authorities, under subsidy from the board, and for the' express purpose of local improvements. It was. of importance that this roaming retold the country of men in search of work should be minimised as far a."- possible. Local preference was desirable for fhfl reason that the local authorities would have better knowledge of the inch being considered for work, ani it was reasonable to expect that better results would be forthcoming. Another minor aspect was that'if work was going to be given indiscriminately then there would be more scope for undesirables to operate throughout the country. Mr Lye said it was important that, as asked by the board, local employment committees, operating under the provisions of the Act, should be set up immediately so as to r>3 ready to deal with individual applicicvs in tho respective districts for work, where, of course, there were no departmental bureaus. These committees would, of course, deal with all offers of work from individual farmers-and others.

CAMBRIDGE ACTIVITY. WIDENING DOMINION AVENUE. As far as we can ascertain the Borough Council is the only district local bodv making application to the board for a portion of the allocation. On inquiry from the Town Clerk yesterday afternoon he informed our representative that on Thursday Mr HallJones (P.W.D. engineer was in Cambridge when a consultation -was. held and.it was decided to apply for a subsidy for the widening of Dominion Avenue, subject to confirmation by the council. The cost of the improvements would be something in excess of £ICO, and to provide work for 12 men. On the basis of £l2O (£2 for £1) the council would have to find £4O. The clerk stated that absolute preference would be given to men out of work from the Cambridge district. The clerk further stated that application for work could be made to the post office or to the borough office, but first the applicants

would have to register with the Departmental Labour Bureau, the nearest bureau of course being Hamilton. It is rather regrettable that steps have not already been taken to form a local Unemployment Committee under the provisions of the Act. This should be done immediately, to save men the trouble of having to register at Hamilton, and to deal with any offers of work from private individuals. On inquiry of the clerk of the Leamington Town Board and the secretary of the Cambridge Domain Board, we were advised that there is no chance of any portion of the allocation being taken up by these bodies. While the first allocation of £25,000 provides for subsidies for all local bodies and even school committees it does not include domain boards. 'There are a few men out of employment in Cambridge, but the position is not nearly so acute here as in most other towns and districts, with a population comparing fairly equally. With the harvesting soon at its height, work should be available for all willing to work.