STATE EMPLOYMENT MONIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 103, 4 May 1938, Page 8

STATE EMPLOYMENT MONIES

EXPENDITURE IN WANGANUI £37.363 LAST YEAR PLAYING AREAS AND RESERVES IMPROVED. Wanganui’s quota from lhe State Employment Promotion Fund during the year ended March 31 last, amounted to £37,363, according to the annual report of the city engineer (Mr L. F. Row). ' "This represents a big reduction on previous years,” Mr. Row reported, giving the following tabulation of figures showing the amounts expended on behalf of the Labour Department : £ 1932- . . 20,244 1933- 33,992 1934- 42,492 1935- 57,546 1936- 65.754 ! 1937-38 . 37.335 ! Total for six years £257,363 ’ The major works which absorbed I lhe expenditure were: £ Airport (completion of turfing) 9308 Wanganui East 3970 Fergusson St. Building Sites 2155 Aramoho Park, Levelling . 1790 Health Camp Site J 612 Gonville Domain 1529 Sports Bodies Assisted. i Sports bodies, by finding the reJquired proportion to lite the subIsidies, were able to expend, thiough ’ the council, £2689 during lhe year, i Of that amount the greater propori lion was spent on remodelling the j No. 2 track on the Wanganui race--1 course, by the Wanganui Jockey I Club, and on remodelling Spriggens : Park, a work undertaken on behalf lof the Wanganui Rugby Union. A ■ total of £l2OO was spent on the Racecourse and £1065 on Spriggens Park. Two tennis clubs (St. John’s and j Wanganui East) and two croquet i clubs (Wanganui East and Wani ganui) benefited by obtaining sums I ranging from £54 to £lOO. A sum ot ■£loo was spent at the Aramoho • School and £4O at St. Mary's Con- ; vent. Works and Services Benefit. i The Wanganui City Council’s works and services department also obtained a share of the Employment ' Promotion Fund (£4302), the main expenditure being:-- £ Streets 1802 Reserves . 1203 River Bank Protection 721 Water Supply Extension 211 "Many of the above works represent permanent assets to the city and have been carried out at relatively ; small cost to the council,” Mr. Row-

states in his report. "It will be noted that much of the work was in connection with the levelling of further areas in the various reserves and domains. This will provide additional playing fields when required, but. as maintenance charges would be particularly heavy, it is proposed to graze these areas until such time as they are wanted for sports purposes.

“The clearing and widening of the Matarawa Stream was a very useful work which should assist materially in minimising flooding in the Wanganui East district. River bank beautification in the vicinity of tne Town Bridge was a much needed work, but as it involved heavy cartage costs ’which had to be paid by the council, only part of the final scheme was proceeded with. It is hoped to continue this work as funds permit. It must be remembered that all new work of this nature is committing the council to future maintenance costs, and, unless extra amounts can be provided for this purpose, many of the improvements will have been futile. "The formation of terraces and other improvements at Spriggens Park, although subsidised by the Rugby Union, was planned, surveyed and organised by the council’s staff. Men Give Excellent Service. "It is pleasing to report that, with few' exceptions, the men engaged on the above works have given excel it nt service. This is a vast improvement on conditions prevailing a year or two ago when men could hardly be expected to give the best results for the mere pittance in weekly wages which they were receiving. "On special relief works much of the advantage to the city is being lost, on account of the primitive hand methods still in use. ft is impossible to do useful work efficiently unless a larger sum is provided for transport, materials, plant, etc. An indication of the amount of hand labour used can be gauged from the percentage of wages in the following statement of total cost on special relief works:— Wage cost (from Employment Promotion Fund) (£29,771), 98.7 percent; tools, transport, materials, etc. (paid by council) £400), 1.3 per cent. Total cost (£30,171), 100 per cent. Council's Expenditure. In order to lift the funds obtained from the Slate for expenditure on various works and services in the city the council had to find £3618.