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Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1932, Page 4

In connection with the administration of the Unemployment Act there is a very widespread feeling of regret that the expenditure tlnut is authorised by the Hoard is yielding results that are so pitiably paltry as most of them Undoubtedly are. A sum ol .Cot),000 is a very large amount to spend every week, but if it wen* wholly, or even uraiiily, productive of permanently valuable results (lie taxpayers would be far less critical of the expenditure Ilian they have reason *to be. As it is, a great deal of the expenditure is simply wt'isfel'iil. It is most desirable that .the Unemployment Board should evolve some policy under which the moneys placed ait its disposal should be utilised much more advaihi ,;;eoiisly than tligy are. 4it rue present tiim*. The Board seems to have lost si'dit of ite programme, hnndeasf three months, ago, of transferring the labour of the unemployed from the roads to the land that f* seined by the roads, lint since it is oli’iir and is in fact ineviLnble (bail it should .seek l.csli fluids lo a consplern hie extent. from taxation, it' should recognise the importance of securing that the taxpayers should icoeive a return of some permanent value a I least for tlm sums which at".: provided by them. Mr Coates made one ntinotiiiremi' it last weelc that wa,s rcrejved with gren.t satislaelion by the deputation to which, he corn-

municated it. It was hoped, be said, to evolve a plan by which the need for tlie “stand down” week for workers might he. avoided. If this can be brought about, it will he greatly appreciated liy the unemployed upon whom the enforced week of idleness has pressed very hardly. It is plain, however, that the provision of continuous wc-rk for those who are unemployed will only lie possible, if the Unemployment Board is supplied with funds much more largely than it is at present. And this serves only to emphasise the argument that the work upon which the are engaged should he of real economic value. The taxpayers are entitled to expect that their money shall not- be frittered away.