23

D— 1a

The average earnings in the different Public Works districts and on Forestry works were as follows : —

--- — » A. SUBSIDIES TO LOCAL BODIES. Provision has been made in the Local Authorities Empowering (Relief of Unemployment) Amendment Act, 1928, for payment of subsidies aggregating £300,000 to local bodies (within the meaning of the Local Bodies Loans Act, 1926) for relief of unemployment, including the £150,000 authorized by the Imprest Supply Act (No. 1), 1927. The provisions of the Local Authorities Empowering (Relief of Unemployment) Act, 1926, under which local bodies were empowered, subject to the approval of the Local Government Loans Board, to raise loans for relief of unemployment without taking a poll of the ratepayers, have been extended to 30th June, 1929, by the Local Authorities Empowering (Relief of Unemployment) Amendment Act, 1928, and applications for sanction of loans should be made to the Local Government Loans Board on the required form, accompanied by the necessary detailed information. Where the number of unemployed in districts is sufficient to warrant local bodies undertaking relief works, subsidies of 50 per cent, of labour based on reliefwork rates of pay (married men and single men with dependants 12s. per day ; single men without dependants 9s. per day) will be granted in respect to — (a) Moneys borrowed for the sole purpose of relief of unemployment, provided the works on which such moneys are to be expended have not been included in any schedule of works for which a loan has already been raised by the local authority. (b) Moneys expended from revenue on works of a capital nature undertaken expressly for relief of unemployment. Pound-for-pound subsidies on materials as well as wages are also granted on works which are being undertaken with voluntary subscriptions, and the subsidy as far as labour is concerned is not limited to relief-work rates of pay. The above-mentioned subsidies apply to urban and suburban districts (City Councils, Boroughs Councils, &c.). In rural districts (County Councils, Road Boards, &c.) subsidy is also payable on materials as well as wages in respect to works undertaken from revenue, loans, or public subscriptions, but the portion of the subsidy regarding wages is limited to relief-work rates of pay in the case of loanmoney or ordinary revenue. Works which local bodies propose to undertake with public subscriptions, and all works in rural districts, must contain at least 60 per cent, of labour, as subsidy is payable on materials as well as wages ; but Cabinet recently decided to waive this condition in the case of works to be financed from special loans or revenue by City Councils, Borough Councils, &c., seeing that subsidy on those works is not payable on materials. Expenditure on transport or cartage is to be classified as labour, and in this connection the Government has agreed to pay subsidy on .wages, at relief-work rates of pay, of drivers of drays or motor-vehicles owned by local bodies when used on relief works for transport of materials, and also on the running-expenses of the motor-vehicles (benzine, oils, &c.), but not on interest, depreciation, or other overhead expenses. Where, however, a local body requires to hire drays or motorlorries solely for use on a relief work, the Government will pay subsidy on the full hire charges while engaged on that work.

District. Married Men. Single Men. S. d. 8. d. Whangarei .. .. .. .. 13 6 9 4| Auckland .. .. . . .. 12 4 9 8| Tauranga .. .. .. .. 12 11J 9 10J Taumarunui . . .. .. .. 10 7J 9 If Gisborne .. .. .. .. 116 9 4-|-Napier .. .. . . .. 12 8 10 10 Stratford .. .. .. .. 12 8 10 Wellington .. .. .. .. 12 8 - 9 4 Nelson . . .. . . . . . . 12 8| 10 7| Greymouth .. .. . . . . 13 2 12 4| Christchurch . . .. . . . . 13 7 11 3J Dunedin and Invercargill . . .. . . 12 3| 9 44 Forestry Department .. .. .. 12 If 9 10