RATES OF PAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1933, Page 7

RATES OF PAY

CITY ROAD WORKS

i RELIEF CONDEMNED

ON MAJORITY VOTE

By 10 votes to 5 the City Council last night expressed the opinion that it is-time the idea of relief conditions on ordinary city works was abandoned, and that the council should get back to the payment of full rates on standard conditions on such works. The issue arose on the reading of a recommendation from the works committee to the effect that relief workers engaged on construction work at Wadestown and Upland Eoads should receive award rates of pay, but that a request that thp men should work estiva days above those fixed by relief conditions should be declined. In effect, the works committeo proposed that standard rates should be paid, but that relief conditions should »)[>ply. The council's opinion was that standard rates and standard conditions should hold. Councillor P. M. Butler said that the jobs were on all fours with the waterworks developments, in respect of which the council had already decided that full rates and standard conditions should hold, for the roading work was being financed from the balance of an old loan, precisely as was the case in regard to waterworks. There would still be left after tho completion of the two jobs about £25,000, which it was proposed should be spent on other roading works about the city. Several of these latter works were of quite minor importance. The Unemployment Board paid 10s per day in respect of each man, and the council made the pay up. to the full award rate, 13s lOd. In no sense could such works be regarded as relief works; they were necessary city works and should, be treated and paid for as such. Practically every local authority of any size in New Zealand had dropped the idea of relief works, recognising that no solution of today's problems would be found therein, and it was high time that the Wellington City Council adopted the same sound view. He moved that the clause should be referred back to the committee for consideration. "The sooner the City Council and all employers get back to standard conditions the better for everyone," said Councillor P. Eraser, M.P. Councillor.H. A. Huggins agreed that the work could not bo clasred as relief work, but as standard city work on which standard rates should be paid. He agreed also with everything that had been said as to the necessity of getting back as soon as posible to the payment of i?iandard rates under standard conditions. Councillor C. H. Chapman, M.P., suggested that when referring tho clause back the council should make a recommendation to the committee that the conditions should be those obtaining on ordina: city works. ' •. GETTING NOWHERE. "As long as we stick to poorhouse tactics' we shall never get anywhere," Said Councillor E. Semple, M.P., in supporting Councillor Butler's proposal. There was absolutely no difference between the waterworks and the road jobs and he hoped that the council would be almost unanimous in sending the clause back. s . - "It-seems to-me that. the.proposers of this amendment have the fullest possible justification for tho attitude they are taking up," said Councillor M. F. Luekie. "I am entirely in accord with those members of the council who say that the sooner wo can get rid of relief conditions the better for the community. It is definitely better to give these men the opportunity —for the first time in a good many cases for probably two or three y«ars—to earn a full week's money." - ■ ' "We should look on these works as essentially ordinary . city works, and should pay full rates at standard conditions," said Councillor J. Burns. Though if standard conditions held it would be necessary to curtail the remainder of the programme for road improvement, the council, he considered, should be able to find finance for such streets as would be affected. SPREADING THE BENEFIT. ■■• Councillor T. Forsyth, chairman of the works committee, said that the work was at present being done by relief workers, and the effect of the amendment would be that these men ■would be put off and the council's regular men put on. Several councillors: Oh, no. Councillor Forsyth: Yes, that will be the position. The majority of the committee considered, continued Councillor Forsyth, that to pay full rates and to apply standard conditions would- penalise some men, and that by rationing the work a benefit would be given to a much larger number of men. No member of the council wanted to continue in the old way with relief works, but he had not heard of any solution of the . problem yet. If full rates and a full week were given other streets which ■were on the list for attention would definitely have to be cut out. The Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) said that when the loan was raised it was for a specific number of streets. Most of the work had been dono and the council hadobtained legislation to permit the unexpended balance to be used in, meeting the unemployment situation. The issue was whether the benefit should be spread or whether fewer men should be employed at higher rates. His view was that the benefit should be spread. Councillor B. McKeen, M.P., said that the ratepayers had voted for tho expenditure of the money under standard conditions, and those conditions should be observed now. To put 20 men on at full rates and conditions wqnld be an earnest that the council at last intended to get back to normal. DELAY OF A MONTH. The Mayor said that the Loans Board had approved of tho expenditure of '£8000 on the works in question, on the basis of full rates, but not on stanclard conditions, and if the proposal before the council was carried it would mean that the whole matter would have to go before the board again, and that would mean a delay of another month or more. Councillor W. H. Bennett said that he , was just, as anxious as anyone to get back to normal, but he was by no.means satisfied that the end of the difficulties was in sight; in fact, tie thought that the difficulties would increase. Councillor T. Brindle said that in the Wadestown and Upland Eoad jobs the council, had a golden opportunity of getting- away from tho relief work sys.te.m a.nd of starting the ball rolling once more in a normal way. A division was taken and resulted as follows:— Ayes (for the clause to be referred back' with the recommendation that standard conditions hold)— Councillors Brindle, Burns, Butler, Chapman, Duncan, Fraser, Huggins, Luekie, McKeen, and Semple. Noes (for the recommendation of the committee) —The Mayor, and Councillors Bennett, Forsyth, Gaudin, and McKenzie. Councillor Brindle took exception to the'proposal of the libraries committee