SUSTENANCE PAY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 127, 15 June 1937, Page 3

SUSTENANCE PAY

Our Own Correspondent).

WAIPAWA COUNTY TO ATTEND CONFERENCE

(From

WAIPAWA, This Day. Doubts as to whether it wonld be fair and proper to shoulder upon ratepayers the burden of finding work for men at present on sustenance, were expressed at yesterday's meeting of the Waipawa County Couucil. The ehairman, Mr. N. M. Paulsen, was appointed the council 's representative to attend another conference between local bodies and a representative of the TJnemployment Department, to be held in Napier on Jane 24. At that meeting the question of sustenance pay is to be considered further, and while the Waipawa County Gouncil has no definite scheme to propose, it feels that it should be represented at the conference. "It is the department 's desire to learn fro-m local bodies the nature.and extent of works which could be undertaken by men at present on sustenance," wrote the Town Clerk of Napier, Mr. F. E. Watters, in a letter giving notice of the conference on June 24. "It is apparent that the present subsidies of 45/- per man-week, or 12 per cent. on total cost, is not sufficiently attractive to local bodies. "I understand that what the department wants is an estimate of each job (showing labour cost separately), together with suggestions as to how ' the gap between the amount available from the local body's own funds and the total cost can be bridged. I am advised that plans and spcclflcations are not required." Nothing To Brlng Up. When this matter was being discussed at yesterday's meeting, Mr. Paulsen explained that the council did not send a representative to the last conference because there seemed to be no matters to be brought up. It was now for councillors to decide whether the council should send soaieone down to the conference on June 24. Cr. C. Thomsen: Have we anything to bring .up. at this conference ? Mr. Paulsen: I think we ought to hear all there is to hear about 'this question of "sustenance pay. I understand that in Hastings and Napier there are still about- 1000 men on sustenance. Cr. L. Glenny: There is plenty of work for those men to do. Mr. Paulsen: The various local bodies might be able to form some scheme whereby these men could be employed on work that is valuable. At the present time, he added, the council knew very little about ,~vhat the Public Works Department wouli* do in the matter if camps were instituted for sustenance men. The question for councillors to decide was whether . it was fair and .proper to shoulder on J ratepayers the burden of finding work for sustenance men. Or. Glenny did not think the ratepayers should have to pay for sustenance men being employed on the riverbed, for instance. After further discussion the council appointpd'Mr. Paulsen as its representative to attend the Napier conference on June 24. -