UNEMPLOYMENT

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21418, 9 March 1935, Page 20

UNEMPLOYMENT

BOARD REPORTS AN IMPROVEMENT COMPARISON WITH LAST MARCH REDUCTION OF 13,846 IN REGISTRATIONS (PRESS ASSOCIATION I WELLINGTON, March 8. The report of the Unemployment Board on the registration of unemployed as at February 16 indicates a further improvement in the position as to the total number of males who are wholly or partly a charge on the Unemployment Fund. The present total of 50,134 reveals a decrease of 1952 on the corresponding figure recorded last month. The number in receipt of part-time employment under scheme No. 5, or on sustenance in lieu of relief work as at February 16, was 31,884, compared with 34,789 on February 17, 1934, a decrease of 2905. The number in full-time employment, but assisted by wages or subsidies from the Unemployment Fund, was 18,250 on the same date, compared with 29,191 a year ago, a decrease of 10,941. This makes the total number who are a charge on the Unemployment Fund 50,134, compared with 63,980 a year ago, or a total reduction of 13,846. FUTURE NOT BRIGHT STATEMENT BY MR GEORGE HARPER "We have not turned that wonderful corner we are always expecting. It is not in sight yet, and we cannot expect the future to be any better than the past," said the chairman of the Metropolitan Relief Association, Mr George Harper, in a report to a meeting of the general committee of the association yesterday. Mr Harper added that there were going to bei many more necessitous cases this year. In conversations with the Prime Minister about validating a grant from the Municipal Electricity Department, it had been emphasised that the money was only for necessitous cases. The time was coming when the association would have to see about raising funds itself, for the Mayor was going to do it no longer. It was expected that the money from the Municipal Electricity Department would keep the association going until the end of April, or, perhaps, into May. He said that from October 13 to January 26. 123,593 persons had been assisted. The weekly average for 14 weeks had been 8828, and the average weekly expenditure for 16 weeks £224. The average value of the weekly assistance to each person was 6d, and to each family 2s Id. The allowance about Christmas was raised to as much as ss. Persons assisted each week up till November had been 8471. The number had then fallen to 7000 and then risen ta 8645. On December 15, just before the depot closed, the number had been 9068, and a week later 8871. On January 12 it had risen to T0,326, and on January 26 it had been 9124. The director reported that for the year ending February 23. 401,052 peisons had been assisted. This numbei was made up of 97,271 families 200 121 adults nad 200,931 children. The grant from the Municipal Electricity Department was £2850, and it was expected that this would be reduced to £2200 by the time all accounts had t>een paid. UNEMPLOYED GIRLS MONTHLY MEETING OF COMMITTEE APPOINTMENT OF VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE OFFICER Several matters of importance were discussed at the monthly meeting of the Girls' Employment Committee, which was held at the Gregg College on Wednesday afternoon. It was decided that the first annual meeting be held at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3 The secretary reported that the Mayor, Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., who is president of the committee, would preside on that occasion, and it was decided to extend an invitation to all persons interested in the employment of girls to be present. It was reported that the opportunity classes had begun in the city. Dressmaking was being taught at the Technical College, and craftwork at the Young Women's Christian Association, while Miss I. M. Archer, principal of Gregg College, had undertaken to provide a full commercial course for girls desiring to train for office work. At present only 21 girls were enrolled in the courses, but it was anticipated that many more would join later in the year. NT The vocational secretary, Miss N. Corne, reported that the committee had moved into its new headquarters in the Christchurch Press Company s buildings on February 13. It was decided to write thanking the board of management of the Young Women s Christian Association for having housed the committtee at considerable inconvenience, and also for the invaluable assistance which had been given the committee by Miss Bowden since Miss E. Batt had been compelled to give up her work as organising secretary. It was stated that the board of governors of the Christchurch Technical College had arranged to release Miss C. E. Robinson from her teaching duties on three afternoons a week to act as girls' vocational guidance officer. Thanks were expressed to the board for its action and to the Education Department for consenting to the appointment. This, it was stated, was the first appointment of a woman vocational guidance officer in New Zealand. Miss Robinson, in presenting the report of the educational sub-committee, recommended that the women's unemployment committee be asked to allow girls who are registered with the girls' employment committee, and who are either ineligible to receive monetary assistance from, or too young to register with the women's unemployment committee, to attend their training centre in the Majestic Theatre buildings. It was felt that a considerable measure of co-operation between the two committees was possible and desirable. A request from the Lyttelton Women's Unemployment Committee that girls registered with them