Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1932, Page 4

The Unemployment Board is slow i setting up the camps asked for in this district.. It, is clear that the useful work about the towns is now becoming greatly less, and if the country is going to receive at least in part, some return for the present coat.of unemployment, the available la,hour must be used more afield. Organised groups of men under proper supervision could be utilised to good advantage in leading localities Requiring better access, or in improving drainage ,in places where such work is needed. A list of such works wag prepared by the officers of .the Lands and Public Works Departments, and thle- recommendations supposedly sent to the right quarter, but so far nothing is done. It is high tim/e the Unemployment Bao-rd was organised enough to seie- that it,s expenditure was going in the rnopt useful ways. Present taxation is said to- he little enough, but there will' -be an outcry against further taxation, unless the money now being collected is used to tetter advantage in securing permanent- useful work in t !, e country districts to assist in promoting settlement and production. Much more could be done- in this way by taking the surplus, idle labour from the towns and centres,. and placing them on district works cf recognised importance. It is clear that we are going to have unemployment with us ov'r an exte wled period, and for that reason the sconer country camps arc (established the better. There is now practically a stoppage of public woiks expenditure, and many unefi.J works in sight for some time, , are- held up. Theso a,re the class of works to which the unemployed might be most usefully diverted in group camps, and so the . ordinary development of the ; country might proceed without serious interirup.tion, a 3 will -be .the case other- 1 r A

wise if the annual works under the public works policy are not maintained. It seems that the best and shortcut cut to practical work would be to hand the unemployed, over to the Pub-ii-j Works L'i'paitment, with the money available, and allow the Government Department to concentrate on the moist useful district public works.