SCHEMES OF WORK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 251, 4 August 1937, Page 6

SCHEMES OF WORK

FOR 83 MARRIED MEN. JOBS FOR COUNTY LOCAL BODIES VISIT PAID BY MINISTER. About 83 married men from the ranks of the unemployed in the Ashburton County will be put to work within the next week under the Government s rotating scheme for absorbing unemployed, in accordance with arrangements made last evening by the ActingMinister for Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb), who conferred with representatives of local bodies at Ashburton. The allocation of the men was fixed as follows: Clearing willows in Ashburton river-bed above and below the Ashburton traffic bridge, for the Ashburton County Council—6B. Clearing island in Ashburton Domain for Ashburton Borough Council—s. Forming footpaths, Methven township, for Mount Hutt Road Board—s. ‘ Planting 30 acres in trees for South Rakaia Road Board—s. The men will be employed at £4 a week for four months, their wages to be paid from the Unemployment Fund, while the cost of supervision will be borne by the local bodies. The work will be allocated to eligible married men by ballot. The Minister said that in the near future he hoped to he able to announce that provision had been made for extra assistance to single unemployed men. The Government desired the co-opera-tion of local bodies in providing work of a useful nature for the men. Mr H. E. Herring, M.P., said the necessity for river protection was vitally outstanding in this district. Five men could be employed on plantation work at Rakaia, five on footpaths at Methven, and three could be used to level the Borough School grounds. Mr F. Frampton (chairman of the Ashburton County Council) said his council was prepared to start 60 men working in the Ashburton river-bed on Monday if it was known what work was recommended. Transport could not be obtained at a reasonable rate to send men into the country to trim lower branches from trees which were being grown for timber. He stated that there was also the Methven drainage scheme, for which the Government offered a subsidy of £2 5s a week for married taen taken from the unemployed. One local body in the North Island had been given a £2 10s subsidy. Tlie Minister: We will give you £2 10s. When can you get the loan money ? Mr Frampton replied that he understood that the State Advances Department would lend the money for a 15year term. Mr T. G. Beck, Public Works irrigation engineer for Canterbury, said the plan for work to be done in the Ashburton river-bed could be prepared in a few days, so that the men could start on Monday. The Mayor (Mr W. H. Woods), who welcomed the Minister, said that from five to ten men could he employed profitably clearing the island in the Domain. Mr A. G. Foreman (clerk of the Mt. Hutt Road Board), on behalf of his board, undertook to arrange the work at Methven. Mr W. Bromley (liaison officer to the Employment Division of the Department of Labour) stated that the men eligible would have to apply for the work, and any who were not able would have to go back on to sustenance. “We expect a fair return of work from the men, and if there is any leadswinging, the local bodies will have power to dismiss the men,” said the Minister.