£2 FOR £1 SUBSIDY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 December 1930, Page 5

£2 FOR £1 SUBSIDY

UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD.

;By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, December 12

The attention of the Unemployment! Board has been draivn. to compla’int9 by local bodies that they were unable to obtain the £2 -for-£l subsidies tinder the first Christmas relief scheme. However, it is ‘ pointed-out that the Board would not, under this scheme, give any subsidy to local bodies 011 Government or Highway funds. All subsidies were granted on the local authorities-' revenue funds, or special-contributions raised by them for unemployment re-< lief. It is clear that if the Board gave a subsidy, on the-money granted to a local authority by the Government, it' would be making a straight-out gift of State : funds, and-npt'making a subsidy at all. This would apply equally to the granting of subsidies on Highways funds. , y • - A protest has been ’ made' by the Mayor of'Thames*' that his 'Ctfuneil’S request for a subsidy was refused. Hotv ever, in this case; the Borough was prepared to provide £IOO for a certain work, and the Highways Hoard £S!OO.' A subsidy of £2 for £1 wjis,,nought on the £3OO, but the Board wbuldi thieij, be subsidising the Highways Board,and not the Council.'-- •