AN EMPLOYMENT SCHEME.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20173, 27 February 1931, Page 15

AN EMPLOYMENT SCHEME.

by reform when discussing measures industries, and, second,

"(1) Development of drown lands, i.e., pumice lands, gum lands, clay .lands, • and other suitable Grown and idle lundsj of' which there are vast areas. "(2) Reclamation of Band dunes . countfy by the planting of marram and lupin, preparatory to making pasture lands, or by the planting tof forest trees. , " (3) Reclamation of tidal estuaries in suitable localities, of which there are thousands of acres available in K&ipara, Hokianga, and other harbours in the North Island. These extensive flats are only covered by salt water at the highest spring tides, and where reclaimed have proved valuable grazing country. ■ (4) Irrigation and preparing of land for closer settlement in the mica schist regions of Central Otago, afyl other land in the South Island, which has proved quite possible of production when suitable treatment is applied. Control and Management. "A Minister of the Crown would be vested mth full powers to administer, and would be responsible to Parliament. The Minister for Lands would, in ordinary circumstances, be in charge; but aa he may pow be overloaded with the problems Jof thGuaftiids of Crown ten : ants Who are hard pressed, One or other of these onerous duties would be delegated to another Minister of the Crown. "Apart from the Minister in charge of the general sohemfe, the development of each area would be carried out under ,tho direction of a practical farmer or farmers, who know the locality and the • type of country being brought in. It is well known that there are competent farmers ready and willing to undertake thfc direction of such schemes, and to give much of their time gratis. A clerical staff and such experts as l might be required by the- directors to assist them in classifying the Scheme would be provided from the Civil Service. Question of Finance. "The money required for bringing the scheme into existence and developing it should be found in the country, and I believe the following method is workable, and has the advantage of creating public interest in what may lightly be termed a national policy to meet a national emergency. My suggestion provides thj<it every person over the ftgo of 18 years would be nsked to contribute to the fund. Every person in receipt of wages, salary, or incomo would have to contribute for the purpose of employing men,. and increasing the country *s production and . exports. The contributions would be paid in special adhesive stamps, and . at any time when, a contributor's payments amounted to £1 a .£l .bearer certificate would be"'issued, and five of these certificates would be accepted for a £5 State Primary products . Bond. The bonds would be non-interest bearing I and bondholders would participate in the nltimftte teceipts by way of the sale of land handled under the scheme. . Division of Assets. "For the purpose of the division of assets, the whole of the undertakings Would bd lumped together. There are some" 750,000 souls in New Zealand of Id years and over, and assuming that 250&00 were exempted and failed to pay from various causes, there would remain soiptt 300;000 contributors, and ebntiAbtftiofls '<from this number at ■ slitfhtly'over pet week or 89a pte ydr vfbttld" provide' £1,000,000. An alternative plan to that of a levy could be followed, pad provision made for a and 1 minimum contribution in the<J*Be of males and females. In regard to valuing and tenure and' realisation of assets, when .settlers, preferably in - groups, desired to occupy laid, Whether at the initiation stage or i . .during orafter development, the method ' to! be follqwed in arriving at a valuation Would b&tfcat of *n appraisement of the "MtetdUiraHn barii of its produc- \ '«§ev*alt<e/a&4 tfet-.the' aeirial cost of i djlvebpme&t. .That is to say, the basis -■ be ;ihe -jirodtietive value of the t section of land allotted. - The selector ' iaightjciiMWe #or,. hiipSelf any tenure ( provided f6r. under tho t existing statute laws, with aft, additional pro vision for sikall |N|ylp.eiiti during! the earlier years | i Board 62 Trustees f would be •< whu«fc duty it wotftd.be, at the r < todW fp&tiodi,of not Jess than fife • -jtfiwi -to assess values, and' determine Ei of the >! undertakings .pamentaaiay be made lit' ther of their mdertlsl*:>onds. There as * points which arise iudjb as the vesting le ofstfttd' doming 1 under H Ifcardof Trustees on separating i the jttontrol of any exof tbe «land-now under « MarifaefteiHirtment in (ialation would b4 neces* of the it it deflite's a clear-cut hftifor itsobject useful put of wdrk, and e # ;fcd)iWs ,»ad energy ted in ' creating new . epuntify by increasing the viSluttft of primary sxporta£ble products. ,lt:» nec&saryi t& provide work for men out of ejurployment, a»d"*hoae proposal 'outlined would be alipd'ttt dofltnbtfte may expect a t jn,,the some o£, tfyo ""f f Ipwill be <s&4 that »y proposals Wfttfd eventually Mplace - the- existing imeiafcloyjment sfchewe** r Earlier in my .remtptSj I r? ferred., to f the '401e,.' and -how''nfiC(Mß»iT , >*-it Was. in my Opinion ' that 'should avoitf' anv'aatare of'relief of this teUitp " I remind the people of -tip 1 Great > Britain has f to, take measures to v pmatls fodrt&ge of the ;ef ; 53,000,00 a by : If, this itonntry fails to aopfc-sotiiid methods 6f employment, sorts'to m&t&grthe problefn of un- . ri^e." if] WORK. , NEW BtLBS ANNOUNCED. 1l * y- ''* i' | (' (PSBSS ASSOtUXIOK TBtUdIUM.) ■ February' 26, 'T&e tor labour (ihe Hon. 'a., P. Smith) issues the following new riiles ui vrith unemployment Lfs *>» ! 1 ' , i, " That a worker be al]oW«d to, wor& I hi* d>»ys in the following fortmgbt it ! he iri unable to worjt on the 'oriainally alM.ted on 'ateount of wet weatfaer! Whera- Miy watereiders, coal 1 milprsr, aiid Railway ®bed ©me^ 'genoy casual workers emwoyed, they mav be offfrW, , U^er. goieme 6 . oa ..-Kntia Registration at the ,i>egin- • 4mg 4be riWßth tbey should. , quired tq a certifipftte tho>r ejnpX6ye)K , as'(Wtihei>-iEWningwthin--th^ oiher 9®cer awtfayin Bis fw Wot-TC eft qqudttions twtjfi' set 6ot, but, are . ju - , 'Sf. v'fr, 1 V' ?>. 5 ti" zi' w 'Vv* ?-j ,t: -

ing oases, youths of eighteen and nine-; teen may to© able to obtaiji employ- : ment under Scheme No. 4a. The Labour Department in. Christchurch advises thai about 84 applications for employment haw been received at the Labour Bureau from youtha 6jc 16 years and upwards.

DISTANT WORK. /' ' '

THE • TRANSPORT DIFFICULTY,

[TBS PBBSS Social SsrMce.]

WELLINGTON, February 26. ■Because of the difficulties of transport j n their extensive areas, sdmo county councils and \ road boards advised* tho Unemployment Board that they were unable to take advantage of Scheme No. 6; states the chairman, the Hon.. Smith. They pointed out that in some cases,,the work,they could provide was 20 or 30 miles away, and that it would be necessary for tlie men to Camp on the tab. > But as some wen were eligible ior only two days' work/soilie For only three tlavs, and some for four days there woulcl be a -constant coming and going, which would not riake for. efficiency. The Board- thoroughly discussed this question,- realising that the claims ©t the local bodies deserved consideration, and eventually was resolved ihat "n those coses where transport difficulties occurred, two periods of employment be worked together> lg, workinc one at the end .of the week, and the other at the beginning of the next week."

It will now be possible for a married man entitled to four days' employment each week4a Work during the Fastfour days of one week, and com, nlete his term on the first zbwt days of the following wegk. The two-day men can begin their tern at the end of the first week and finish up on the first two days of the ne*t veek. <'This widening of the. scope. or the. scheme, should greatly increase its value to .l<?cal .bodies with wjde-flnng territory/' added the Minister. - It will not only enable them to carry on back-block jobs.with a continuity lot labour, but, will simplify their labourtransport problem.^ <~yj' ' -

, A complaint that there was a "seTi- ! ous flaw" in the "Unemployment Board's I No. 5' Scheme was,, made by a number of unemployed men at Auckland. They 'said that although under the scheme each married man with two or more dependents was supposed to get four ■ days* work in a week, many men were hot receiving that amount of work. Referring to the matter Mr G. Finn, a member;of the Unemployment Board, said the trouble was caused by some local .bodies empldving'two "gangs" ; of tten alternately every four dayß. Owing' to' the statutory half holiday on Saturday, * however, some of the , ine'fi 'worked t three and a half days instead of four. Any flaw that might' exist was not in the scheme itself but in the system /of working the scheme adopted by 1 local bodies. *"