Wide Limit of State Subsidy

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 135, 24 June 1937, Page 6

Wide Limit of State Subsidy

officer's warrant Local-Body Schemes - ' Discussed at Napier MR. BROMLEY'S MISSION rull authority to conclude propositions for local-bddy works for tiro absorption of sustenance labour, provided that the works came witiiin the wide limit of assist ance offered by the Government, has been delegated to Mr. Walter Bromley, liaison officer of the Department of Labour, who met Hawke's Bay local-body representatives in Napier this morning as the representative of the actingMinister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb. Several schemes involving the emjdoyment of varying numhers of sustenance men wero placed before Mr. Bromley. The Hastings Borough Couneil, Hawke's • Bay County Couneil, Waipawa County Couneil, Patangata County , Couneil, Napier Borough Couneil, Havelock North Town Board, Taradale Town Board, Hawke's Bay Rivers Board, Napier Harbour Board, Dannevirke County Couneil, Te Mata Park Board of Trustees, members of the Soil Survey Commission, and Hastings representatives with an afforestation propOsal attended the meeting. In answer to & question by Mr. Bar- 1 nard, it was stated that 662 men in

iiastings, boo m -Napier and 140 in Dannevirke were at present on sustenance. Of fhese, about 50 or 60 per cent. were fit for labouring work. "It has been indicated in the Press that the Government has attempted to refer to the local bodies a xesponsibility which is that of the Government," said Mr. Bromley. "That is not so. It is an effort on the part of the Government to assist the local bodies with its responsibility. "This tkne is one when the figures of nnemployed generally ihcrease because of seasonal dismissals, and as an alternative to increasing sustenance rates the Government prefefs to -help the local bodies to provide additional works that will put into the homes of the workers some extra money at a period When it is most needed." It was not possible, ' continued Mr. Bromley, to say deflnitely that the amount of subsidy would be*50 or 100 per cent. on labour costs of ' works suggested, bnt the Government was most anxious to have work put in train. It should be possible to obtain suflicient jobs on the East Coast so "that every man who was willing and able to work would be assured of a job for a short period at least. "I have authority, in representing the Government this mofning, to go a certain distance in the matter of a subsidy, and I think that most of the jobs proposed can be fitted within that distance,'.' he continued." "If any of ycru propose a work that goes outside that barrier, then I shall need to ask you to wait until the matter has tfie consideration of my superiors. "If the proposals are within that barrier, I am in a position to conclude the diseussions here to-day. If they I are outside the limit, it is probable that the scheme is a bit unreasonable, as the Government has extended itself to meet the loeal bodies in this respect." Mr. Bromley then invited the local bodies to put forward any proposals 4b ey might have to make. Mr. Barnard reinarked that it should be possible to giye preference not to the local bodies in the Napier electorate but to those furthest away.