UNEMPLOYED RELIEF.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18359, 19 June 1931, Page 8

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF.

EMERGENCY MEASURES

THE POSITION IN HAMILTON.

OYER 500 MEN IN NEED

LOCAL BODIES TAKE ACTION

Practical steps for P rOV J‘J’ ® urgent relief in cases of distress through unemployment unt l teither schemes aro resumed by Government wore taken at a °onforence of district |oca l authorities held at tho Town Hall yesterday afternoon. Tho Mayor, Dr. F. D. Pinfold, presided.

Those present were 1 Mr J- AYoung. M.P. for Hamilton; Mr A. AWoodward (Waikato Council), Mr u ; F. Peacocke (Waipa County), Mr J. W. Civil (Waipa County), Messrs J. j. nyburn and E. G. Johnson (Maikato Hospital Board), Cr. W. Bourne, Messrs. W. L. Waddcl (Town Clerk,, R. Worley (borough engineer) and Mr F. Wilson (Labour Department). The Mayor said the meeting was called to consider the very widespread distress caused throughout tlie district. by unemployment. While the local bodies were all short of money the unemployed were more short of it. lie appealed to Hie local bodies to offer nothing but constructive work if work was to be offered, flic boiough, lie reminded them, was already in debt to the extent of £17,000 on unemployment. His Worship submitted the following suggestions for consideration: —

(1) That pending the recommencement of the No. 5 Scheme or other Government measure each local body provide for the unemployed who have resided in its area for 12 months or more, any others to be taken care ot by tlie hospital board. ‘ (2) That the Government be urged to lake immediate action to restore temporarily the No. 5 Scheme pending the matter being dealt with by Parliament. (3) That the suggestion be made to tlie Government that better results may obtain in tlie future if an adequate proportion of the funds available be distributed to the local bodies without restriction as to use, the distribution to be made according to the incidence of unemployment. (4) That the suggestion be made that' the No. 2 Scheme be restored, whereby private persons desirous ot employing' relief labour could obtain same by paying half Hie wages. ' (5) That the suggestion be made to the Government that single men, except tlio.se with dependents, be not employed on Hie No. 5 Scheme, but that relief camps be established for such single men as arc destitute ana I hat tlie existing military facilities be used for tlie purpose.

Hamilton District Figures.

Mr Wilson, offieer-in-charge of the Labour Bureau and secretary of flic Unemployment Committee, tableu llgures of the unemployed as follows. Hamilton Borough, married 285, single 132, total -117; Waikato Count;, married 29, single 4, total 33; Waipa County, • married 17, single 18, lota. 35- Gordonton district, married 21, single 1, total 22; various, married t., single G, total 12. Total married, 358; total single, 101; grand total, 519. The total amount spent in the district on unemployment by the Unemployment Board since the inception of the scheme in March had been £7353. Mr J. A. Young, M.P. asked if it was correct that there were only about 100 unemployed in Hamilton before the No. 5 Scheme was introduced? Replying. Mr Wilson said tho borough figures were used before the scheme was started and these could not he taken as a correct indication ot the total unemployed. Tlie figures always increased with the onset of winter. Personally he did not think there had been a great increase in Hamilton.

Hospital Levy Savings,

Mr Young stressed the necessity for the relief of tlie local situation, repel’ which could only be temporary, lie pointed out that Hie. local bodies’ levies to the Waikato Hospital Board I Kid been considerably reduced this year, the Hamilton Borough Council’s eonlribc.Jon atone being decreased by £ISBO. Ho considered the amounts saved in tho levies should be applied to a fund for the immediate relief for those in need of food and other urgent necessities. It was essential that people in Immediate want should lie able ‘to obtain food and s-ome machinery for tho purpose should be established. Tho best central body to aclr ill lids way in his opinion was the hospital board. Whatever action the Government might lake to provide temporary relief should lie given iuil public support. He could not understand why the No. 2 Scheme (half wages paid by employers) was ever dropped. It provided more real economic value to the community than the No. 5 Scheme, especially to farmers breaking in fresh country. He considered all the suggestions of the Mayor were worthy of support. So far' as the adjustment of hospital levies was concerned provision would probably have In be made out of unauthorised expenditure and some validating legislation might he necessary to give eltecl to it.

Wclfaro Leaguo’s Job,

Mr Rylnirn supported any movement to appeal to Hie Government to resuscitate Hie No. 5 Scheme. Every effort should also lie made to gel the No. 2 Scheme in operation again, especially in the outlying districts. Regarding llie provision of sustenance, the Auckland Hospital Board had found Unit n, was heller for the sustenance to tie disli'ihuled by some social welfare organisation. The Hospital Boarti Pad to deal with a population of 100,000 people luil the Social Welfare League was in direct I ouch with local needs. He considered the Welfare League was a belter body lo handle sustenance relief on Ihe scale suggested Ilian Ihe Hospital Board. Outdoor relief by his hoard had been greatly reduced on Hie estimates. and so far as the finances of Ihe hoard were roiirenird no relief on a large scale could he atlempled. II had been suggeslcd liial Ihe Hospital Board

should make a M'cond levy on local bodies bill lie believed this would lit* a most unwise step. Asked by tbe Mayor if there was any possibility of the board providing some sort of shelter for men. Mr Johnson replied lhal only six men each night could he sheltered at present. H was never cxperleJ lhal these men should slay in the town. The board had £BSOO on Us eslimales

for outdoor relief, an amount which had been reduced by tlie Government by £IOOO. This money was, however, not for unemployed relief. Last year 400 cases affecting 097 persons had been dealt with by the board for outdoor relief and 92 cases were concerned with unemployment. He was convinced that some outside organisation other than the Hospital Board should tackle the problem locally. The Hospital Board could assist but it had no organisation for providing relief and in any case the board administered a wide district. He suggested that a subscription list should be opened in Hamilton to enable the Wel*« fare League to provide assistance. Counties’ Viewpoint. Mr Peacocke, speaking on behalf of the Waipa County, supported the resumption of both the No. 5 and No. 2 Schemes. The latter scheme was most important as it would assist production. Mr Woodward outlined the financial position of the Waikato County. He considered the matter was entirely one for the Government, which should give authority to the local bodies to carry on with tlie work anti reimburse them afterwards. Unemployed relief had cost the county about £SO a week. The position had got well beyond the resources of county ratepayers who had already assisted to a great extent. If tlie Government found the money the county could employ at least'loo men in cutting work vat ! Hinton’s Gully. This work would have to he done before the HamiltonMorrinsville Road was sealed and would be a very suitable work for Hie unemployed. To a question, the Mayor said the Welfare League had in mind issuing an appeal for public subscription but this was hardly a fair way as the burden did not- fall on everybody. He urged the local body representatives to impress on their councils the need for allocating some sum to assist th« proposed fund. Unauthorised Expenditure. - The Town Clerk suggested the "i counties should find snout £IOO each /■ to tide the unemployed over for the next couple of week.’, until Parliament reintroduced relief measures. This money could be provided from unauthorised expenditure and the counties could run the risk of being reimbursed. Mr Peacocke promised to bring this question before the Waipa County Council next Monday. Mr Young said he was well aware of the work the Hospital Board was doing but people were coming to him daily who were hitter and hungry and who must have immediate relief.

To Mr Peacocke, the Mayor said it was not suggested that the whole of the hospital levy saved to the local bodies should he contributed by them. On tiie motion of Mr Young, tlie following, resolution was passed: "That this meeting approves of the five suggestions made by the Mayor and approves of the additional suggestion that the local bodies .concerned co-operate with the Waikato Hospital Board and other organisations for tlie purpose of providing special, urgent and immediate outdoor relief, and that the assisting local bodies be given representation on the - social service committee administering special relief; also that it be a suggestion that they contribute to the special relief from unauthorised expenditure accounts until such time as tlie Government can validate the payments.’?