UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE

Hokitika Guardian, 14 October 1931, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE

MONDAY OCTOBER 12. A special meeting of the Hokitika Unemit'.oyment Committee was held in the Town Hall to meet Mr W. Bromley, a member of the Board from "\\ eliington. There were present: Messrs E. W. Heenan (chain, T. P. O’Neil, F. W. Cox, M. McGavin, 1:1. Harvey, J. Peake and G. A. Coles; also Mr Davies (Labour Officer for the District) Apologies from Messrs G. A. Perry D J. Evans and T. W. Bruce were received. The Chairman welcomed Mr Bromley to Hokitika and trusted that he would hv his visit to the Coast better understand Hie problem as it affected this district. He mentioned that Westland was chiefly a timber milling and mining district and any schemes that the Board could subsidise that would help this class of worker would be greatly appreciated. Gold and timber were abundant on the Coast. Orders were now slack for timber. There was a great need for irojd. The miners only needed sufficient assistance to enable them to get a fair start and they would then be able to carry on. Mr Bromley, in reply thanked the Chairman and members for their welcome and trusted that during the course of the evening he woufd be able to show the members ways and iheans of helping the unemployed and afterwards he would be pleased to answer any questions. The first, application was from Mr T. N. "Warren for assistance :n opening up a coal seam at Koiterangi. Mr Warren was present and gave the Committee full details of the project, especially mentioning the fiaet that cheap coal would be made available to the Lime Kiln Coy.

Mr T. P. O’Neil supported Mr Warren’s application. Mr Bromley advised the applicant to make application direct 'to the Board which would have the matter reported upon hv the Mines Department. Mr O’Neil asked for assistance with unemployed labour in helping the Lime K ii’n Coy., and also for river protection work in the Koiterangi and Kokatahi districts.

air Bromley, in reply stated that he was of opinion that these two applications could be mot by e tablishing a camp for single men and be would recommend that this course he taken, the 1 farmers to supply the food for the men, and the Unemployment Board the camp and equipment and pocket money.

Mr O’Neil promised to bring the matter before the Farmers’ Union at its first meeting. Mr Coles stated that many young men wore Iteing placed on farms all over Westland under the 4A Scheme. Mr Bromley then outlined the working of the Main Board, and would ask for the co-operation- of Local Committees as co-trustees of the fund. Any schemes for mining or assist'ng new industries would receive whole-hearted support of the Board if recommended * by the Local Committee. Especially he would recommend mining, pointing out that if the Board spent £7 by way of subsidy to miners to produce one ounce of gold, this would mean that the country received £5 for the gold in return for the subsidy of £7. and thus £5 of the subsidy was returned to the country, and the work became reproductive. Farms were to be assisted as much as possible to break 1 , in new land, and in sub-dividing and draining. This work was of a reproductive nature and was to be encouraged.

Mr Heenan made a strenuous appeal to Mr Bromley for for the, unemployed L nt-T( recently the men wore receiving fair assistance hut with the completion of the Rimu dredge and the Kanieri Electric construction works, and with the l 1 ores try work closing down, the ranks of the unemployed were considerably increased. During the present week application from those eligible for unemployment work to the County Council, meant a total of £9O. The Board were only able to grant £55. Tins,meant that rationing had to he resorted to, and considerable hardship was beginning to manifest itself among those seeking relief. Mr Broun 1 ey, in reply, stated that each district was receiving e> evy penny available, hut if, as the Chairman stated, the number had so suddenly increased, then he would see if it could be arranged for a little extramoney to he granted. With £50,000 a week to spend and 58,000 unemployed, the Board had its work cut out. However, he would see what could he done to assist these men.