NO. 5 SCHEME

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 35, 25 February 1937, Page 5

NO. 5 SCHEME

Preae Aseoeiatien.)

Plairi Talk by Labow Minister BETTER TO END II

(By Telegraph—

INVERCARGILL, Lest Night. Criticism of the administration of tmemployment relief by the Invercargill City Counoil was mad© by Minister oi Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, to-day after he had heard a deputation of relief workers. "On the figures given by the deputation the position certainly required ooking into," said the Minister, "and if the position as stated was oorrect, it appeared that the sooner the No, 5 scheme was finished the better. "With regjard to th© city eouncil, it seems that you have brought forward a, qase which requires investigation," said the Minister. The Lahpur Department had done as much as possible to induce local bodies to put relief workers on to their staffs under the 40-hour Week, the department contributing up to £2 5/- a week for married men, providing they were engaged at current rates of wages and full time. He sajd this only left about £1 15/- a week for the local body to find. Some lqoal bodies were doing exoellent work to assist the Government, notably the Dunedin, Christchurch and Auckland City Councils. However, a number of local bodies in the south were refusing tb do anything for the unemployed. It appeared that the Invercargill City Council should do more. The deputation had stated that the council was contributing only 1/8 to 2/8 a week per man. If the rates offered under the No. 5 scheine were not worth a gi'eater subsidy from the council, it was time the scheme wa* knocked off and the men placed on sustenance. The Labour Department was actuaily trying to clean up No. 5 spheme. He personally was anxious 'to get rid of it, as a number of local bodies were not assisting. e Mr Armstrong promised that he would go into the matter before he left Invercargill with the officers of the department and representatives of the city council.