UNEMPLOYMENT

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 131, 2 March 1928, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT

RELIEF WORK WANTED BY TEI/EgLaph.—Press association. Gisborne, March 1. A meeting of representatives of local bodies was held yesterday afternoon to consider relief works for the unemployed. Delegates were present from the Hospital Board, the Borough .Council, and the Cook, Waikohu, and Wairoa County Councils. The meeting was convened by the Hospital Board, whose chairman, Mr. W. G. Sherrat, emphasised . the fact that the board’s charitable aid bill was steadilv mounting up, due plainly to unemployment. Most of those in receipt of relief wanted work and not charity. 'lhe Deputy-Mayor, Mr. J. Blair, said that the council intended to wait on the Minister of Public Works on his next visit to Gisborne on the matter. One speaker urged that the Government should start work on the Gis-borne-Wairoa railway from the Gisborne end, and thus avoid men having to keep two homes going when on relief work. It was eventually decided on the motion of the chairman of the Uawa County Council that the Government be urged to adopt a policy of spreading the relief works among the local bodies and making grants accordingly. Speakers said that the local bodies could carry out works such as road improvements if the finance was supplied by the Government. He suggested that each local body should prepare a list of the works to be done. The chairman undertook to forward the resolution to the Minister.