PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 139, 10 December 1930, Page 12

PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT

NO. 2 SCHEME EXPLAINED

A meeting of representatives of the local bodies in the Wellington area was held' at the Town Hull last evening to discuss putting into operation the Unemployment Board's No. 2 scheme, whereby relief may be given to those in need of work by their .employment by private persons in such domestic jobs as gardening, wood chopping, hedge trimming, and other odd jobs. The Deputy-Mayor, Councillor Luckie, who presided, said that the scheme would enable many men who would otherwiso be in want to be given employment over the Christmas and New Year period. The Labour Department or the organising committee to be set up would get into touch with men suitable for such work. Mr. H. B. Burdekin, deputy-chairman of the Unemployment Board, said that the local committees would be required to carry on while the Act was in operation, not merely over the holiday period. No. 1 scheme was for local bodies; No. 2 scheme was one in which the board hoped for the eo-opemtion of the public in employing individuals who would not be reached by No. 1 scheme. Cabinet had approved of No. 2 scheme, and had granted £25,000 for the payment of a subsidy on a £ for £ basis on wages only. The subsidy would not exceed >s a day, but the rate of wage was to be mutually arranged between employer and employee. It was hoped that, throughout Now Zealand, the response would be such as grcatl}' to alleviate the position. COLLECTING- THE SUBSIDY. Forms would have to be filled in to secure that the service was given to the employer, that the work was done and the wages paid. If the wage- was to be 14s a day, the omployer would pay 7s, and give a certificate that tho worker was entitled to claim the subsidy of 7s. The man would be given a voucher addressed to the nearest postmaster, who would cash the voucher as he would a postal note. That machinery had been approved by the Treasury, and would be used throughout New Zealand for tliis particular scheme. A card would be filled in and sent to the secretary of the local committee, on which would be recorded the work done, or, on the other hand, that the man had not turned up to do the work. This would enable a tag to be kept on those men who came for work and then refused the work found for them. There were no doubt many people who could give only an hour or two's work, but neighbours might join together and find a number of small jobs among them which would give a man work for one or two days. It was hoped that a certain amount of clerical work could be found for men who could not do heavy work, and that tho Chamber of Commerce and kindred organisations would assist in providing a business man's bureau where they could got labour of a specialised typo for certain classes of work. WAGES A MATTER OF AGREEMENT. In regard to wages, said Mr. Burdokin, it would have to be understood ,by the men that' if they were not fully qualified, the principle of under-rate workers would havo to be recoguiscd, aud they might not all get 14s a day or what they expected. The board would not take into consideration the wage to be paid, which was to bo a matter between employer and employee, and would not interfere with any award or trade union rate'of wage. Tho board would not Say that employers must offer a certain wage. ''It'■•■was agreed that those present should form a general committee, to be known as the Wellington Unemployment Committee.. They were: Councillors .:• M. Luckie, G. Mitchell, E. A. Wright, M.P., E. Semple, M.P., and R. M'Keen, M.P., and Messrs. P. Frnser, M.P., F. Castle and G. Petherick (Wellington Hospital Board), J. W. M'Ewan (chairman Wellington Harbour Board), P. Butler, W. Bromley, Captain Galloway (Eed Cross Society), T. J. Spears (president Wellington Manufacturers' Association), A. H. Kinsman (Labour Department), and a representative, of the Salvation Army. An executive committee was . appointed, comprising Messrs. J. I. Goldsmith, Galloway, But--ler, Cornwcll, and representatives of the Salvation Army and the Labour Department.