THE UNEMPLOYED

Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1932, Page 4

THE UNEMPLOYED

MEETING OF HOKITIKA COMMITTEE. THE REVISED RATES OF PAY. A meeting of the Hokitika Unemployment Committee was held on TuesMien there . wore present the Mayor (Mr G. A. Perry), a'nd Messrs Ji. W. Heena-n, L. A. DRely, M. McGavin, H. : G. Harvey, T. N. Yvarren, T. W. Duif, J. Peulce, W. Miilner, McG'lusky and the' actingsecretary (Mr H. W. Lodge). -lpjlugJC'.j were received lor Messrs R, Cox, H. G. F. Coles, D. J. Evans, T. P. O’Neil, A. C. Armstrong and A. H. Lawn.

Mr Duff was appointed t° represent the Hospital Board on the Committee in place of Mr T. W. Bruce. The Forestry Department advised that the tree planting on the dredge tailings was completed. The Unemployment Commissioner wrote, regarding the mining subsidy under Scheme- No. 5, and advising that the men cannot be allowed to put their dole time in on their claims.— Received.

The Commissioner further wrote regretting the necessity of Mr Coles having to resign from the position of secretary to the Committee, and expressing the Board’s appreciation of his valuable services. V On the motion of Mr Warren Tmd the Mayor, it was decided to place on record the Committee’s appreciation of Mr Coles’ services, Messrs 'Heenan and Harvey spoke highly of the way Mr 'Coles had carried out his duties.

An inquiry was received from Mr J B. Warnock asking if anything could b e done to provide sustenance on the off week, and pointed out the hardships experienced by the workers.

It was decided that the Committee would do its be?t to improve the conditions of the men during the off week.

The Unemployment Commissioner forwarded the revision of the basic daily rate of pay, and days to be worked, which revision comes into operation on October 3, 1932. The new rate* are as follow, the old rates being given in parenthesis:—Married men 10s a day, single 7s 6d a day. Cla.s.3 A 18s for 2f days (2 days) ; Class B 3 7 i3 6:1 for 3J days (3 days); Class Q •50s for five days (4 days).

A discussion ensued as to whether the four-weekly system of rationing on the present system of rationing should.be adopted, and it was decided to take , a poll of the workers on this •subiect, Mr Heenan to take the votes of the County men, and Mr Coles those of • .and hospital men. The Commissioner wrote approving of the Committee’s request to allow one of the men to repair the footwear of th© unemployed and their families. The Commissioner further advised that workers employed on their : own farms were now required to pay the emergency relief charge on the subsidy they received from the Board.— Received, He also forwarded a circular regarding the maximum emoluments including subsidy, wages, and value of food and lodgings a married man may receive, viz, Married man with no children £3 j with one child B 3 2s 6d; with two children £3 6s • with three children £3 7s 6d • with four or more £3 10s. The fact was' also stressed that the levies should be paid direct to the Post Office instead of to (local , secretaries who had not - the facilities of receiving monies du© .for the levies.

The quest 1 ! n of rationing the allocations pn the class basis without taking the children into consideration was discussed at length, and the great amount of extra work entailed in the rationing on the basis of the number of children was outlined. It was decided Anally that the present system of rationing be adhered to as it was considered to be the only fair basis to work on.

Mr Warren brought up the question of. water supply to claims situated 'at Himu, and advised that th e proprietors of the jubilee dam and water race were prepared to subsidise work up to two days a week so a,s to put the dam and race ip\ order to giv e a constant supply of water to the claims. It was decided to consider the matter further after it had been discussed by Messrs Warren and Lawn with th e miners concerned.

Mr Warren who recently visited Wellington in August as a 'deputation reported that with Mr J. O’Brien, Member for Westland, he waited on the Commissioner land members of the Unemployment Board, with whom he discussed matters which he had been instructed to inquire into. It was decided that the matter of the imposition of the 10 per cent, in connection with miners’ rights be not retrospective, but that they shoudl operate as from August 1. The request that n;U payments to miners receiving unemployment relief should be made under the provisions of Scheme No, 5 drew considerable opposition. With Sir O’Brien he pointed out the many anomalies under the present scheme of allocation, particularly the flat rate of 30s a week, as It affected married men without dependents by comparison with a like case under Scheme No. 5. They also had stressed the delay which occurs in all applications for renewals. The (Board asked that the Committee be given power to allow men to go mining under proper supervision. These requests were favourably received by the Commissioner, but opposed by Mr Bradley. .Finally it was decided to refer this matter to Mr Davies for a report. Regarding expenditure under unemployment schemes, of which the Committee have no knowledge, Mr Warren had pointed out the facts of a case in South Westland where the labour was drawn, 1 irora Christchurch