CITY’S RELIEF WORKS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 106, 6 May 1936, Page 8

CITY’S RELIEF WORKS

STATE FINDS SUM OF £57,500 MAJOR PORTION FOR AIRPOR T COUNCIL'S TOTAL WAS £4OOO Evidence of the importance of relief work to the cJy has been furnished by the annual report of the city engineer (Mr L. F. Sow). His report discloses that relief of unemployment in Wanganui city has cost the State in subsidies, a total of £57,546 for the year under review. Hxs figures also disclose that the total spent in this direction has steadily increased during the past four years, growing from £20,244 in 1932-33 to £57,546 in 1935-36. The bulk of the expenditure has been absorbed by the airport, where levelling and turfing have demanded from the State £27,509 dunng the year just concluded. Castlecliff Domain has been next in order, absorbing £6147. The council itself, in order to lift the subsidies detailed, has had to find £4004, during the year. Number of Men “The number of relief rr.eo employed by the council has shown a steady increase over the past three years, and reached a peak figure of 963 for the week ending October 5, 1935,” Mr Row stated. “A.s mentioned in the last annual report, the payment of these men, and the organisation of the various jobs, has thrown a large amount of extra work on the staff. The council’s routine work has suffered to some extent as a result. I'he following is a list, of the wages paid by the council on behalf of the Unemployment Board during the past four years. (The figures do not include subsidies paid by the council): — Year 1932/33 £30.244 Year 1933/34 £33 992 Year 1934/35 £42.492 Year 1935/36 £57,546 T0ta1£154.274 “Unfortunately, the severe restrictions placed on the nature of the work undertaken bv relief labour has resulted in much of the work being of doubtful value. Some of the relief works, of course, are, or will be, of great advantage to the city, but their value falls far short of the amount spent in wages. Work Carried Out “'l'he following schedule indicates the nature and extent of the chief works undertaken during the year by relief labour;- - Relief Wages Paid. £. Airport Gexelhng. turfing, etc) 27,509 Castlecliff Domain (sand levelling, etc)' 6.147 Castlecliff Pit (stripping sand) 610 Jackson St. Reserve (levelling) 2.276 Hylton’s Pit (stripping clay, etc) 4,74.1 Koromiko Road (re-grading) . 647 Carlton Ave. Ext. (formation) 3,720 Show Grounds, Wanganui East 1,011. River Banks and Reserves . . . 2.275 Streets and General (subsidised by council) 623 Tram Tracks (subsidised by council) 1.20'3 Dublin St. Bridge (subsidised by >6000011) 718 Works and Services (subsidised by council) 741 Relief Pay Office, etc. (subsidised by council) 607 Outside Works (Youths’ Camp. Y.M.C.A., etc.) 1.062 Special Holidays paid for but not worked 3.533 Miscellaneous 123 Total • • £57,546 “The streets and general work referred to as subsidised bv the council represents general maintenance work carried out prior to July 13. on whi>ch the council paid a subsidy of 3s per day. After that date the Unemployment Board would not permit the use of relief labour for ordinary maintenance work on these terms, but allowed a limited number of men to be engaged on full time employment. The council paid full time standard wages and received a subsidy from the board of 35s per week for each man. The work done by these men is listed on the foregoing schedule under works and services. “The following is a brief description of the more important relief works carried out during the year:— (1) At the Airport good progress was macle with levelling additional areas, and 26£ acres of turf on the landing field was lifted and set down to permanent level. Also an area of 10| acres was brought up to grade and surfaced with turf carted from the southern end of the property. During the vear an area of .179,725 square yards of turf was cut and replaced and 57,150 cubic yards of sand was excavated. The total levelled area is now’l39 acres. (2) The Castlecliff Domain was fur. ther improved bv levelling 51 acres between the Seafront Rnad and the sea. bringing the total levelled area to date Io 23j acres. (3) At Castlecliff metal pit a number of single men have been employed in stripping sand and back filling into the old pit. (4) On the Jackson Street Reserve the large pine trees were removed and approximately one acre has been terraced and turfed. (5) Hylton Pit Reserve has been improved by eradicating all gorse and other noxious weeds, and repairing and renewing all boundary fences. Tn the pit itself a further 6800 cubic yards of metal has been stripped of overburden. (6) The regrading of Koromiko Road and Cambridge Terrace was completed, and this has not. onlv provided a greatly improved roadway, hut has made available a number of good building sections on ground which was previously of little value. (7) The formation of Carlton Avenue Extension has made steady progress and now 20 chains of formation 70 feet in width are completed. An area of approximately one acre adjacent to the roadway has also been levelled and advantage has been taken of the opportunity to establish a temporary rubbish dump beneath the filling. (8) The show grounds at Wanganui East were cleared of all gorse

and other weeds and the formation ‘ of 33 chains of roadways is completed. A start has been made with the excavation and levelling of the oval and the construction of a surrounding embankment. (9) River Banks and Reserves.— A general clean up of river hanks, Allison Park, and WilUams Domain has i been carried out. At Matipo Park an additional area was cleared of gorse and planted. (10) Miscellaneous.—lmprovements have been made to the lower end of the Portal Street footpath, and some of the bends on Shakespeare Road have been widened. Subsidised relief men are still employed on the Dublin Street Bridge. Council’s Expenditure "A sum of £3041 was charged against the relief works account, and in addition £963 was paid as the council's proportion of wages for subsidised workers on ordinary works and services.”