SCHEME ABUSED

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1932, Page 3

SCHEME ABUSED

RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYMENT;- f " /'V . '/ ; . i STRONG .PROTEST BY FARMER, AUCKLAND, September' 25. & strong protest... against the, - em? ployment on relief, schemes - of, jnen | who can afford .to own - and run ifiotor-cars was voiced by a, proniiii- , iit Alatamata farmer. , He j gave i the <iame of one man who was employed under the. No. 5 scheme,oja .road,.work. This man owned an expensive, motorcar, wh cii lie used for joy-isßing>. ; each week-end. ; j d Tjhe farmer was of thg»'.‘6pmioh thatni*>et of the. moroy thq.nyanj received aSj sustenance allowance for the work he did must be spent on benzine. , ' The farmer also referred' tf> the. cae<?of another man who had been employed. .'No: ,AA_, ..sel*eme^aa.^vv • owned' a~'motor-cari This man ' recently did two trips to Opotiki His wife was in comfortable circumstances, and was a frequent visitor to Auckland. Mention was made of a young man whose wages were subsidised by the Unemployment Bqard. wjio washable tp.; run ..rAgttd : ,-g, motor-cycle. The fariiier said he knew the men he referred to very well, and regarded; them as decent fe'-lowg, ally. He h pro tested, however, a-, system which enabled them to receive e'lief ib'oney wliife bb,byl : ivOre'-•aßle'i't o ' enjoy the use of motor vehicles. v

RADIO SETS. PUR CHASED., Instances were given of other people who, while in receipt of relief, purcluT' ed rarVigrifi.etsr - working farmers ,fif who could not afford |o register, them motor-cars 'tins year, 'anV 1 htid' to put •tjjib with a great deni-of' inconvenience in-; consequence, while he and many neighbouring farmers- /wej'q-, to. ifjstal radio sets. The . iroiiy ■■ of-*th pdsition, he said, was that,these-.fnvr^' 1 . • wMe required to pdy : iaxefe. 'whlcHi' Enabled the abuse? of the unemploympt relief schemes ,t 6 ,be pehpe|ua^dv, ; tHe contended that any person owning and .using a motor-car-was < not entitled, to relief in any form, and he considered that 50 per cent, of those receiving r°lief couJ.d : ,npw fend for j^L they were content to cut down luxuries.,, such as motor-cars, pictures, and" liquor. Just as long as these abuses were allowed, he said, would those. earning,jin"omps be taxed to keep a herd of thriftless people in easy money. FARMERS ALSO OFFENDERS,. •In answer to a question,- thy;, farmer acknowledged that the were not alone to blame for thp<M abuse of tlie relief schemes, and he admitted that numerous farmers had taken advantage of-the system-v known as the No. 4A scheme, which enabled them to secure labour which was subsidised by the Unemployment Board. He -aid that in his locality only two farmers, including himself, bad retained the employees that had been Avork;ng for them before the depression set in. Wholesale dismissals of perma--ie”t emplpy n es bad occurred,, and .sub-, aid bed relief labour ha d been taken on instead. . -

Confirmation. of, this statement .is supplied Jn the . Labour Department; figures, Avhich show that in the Mata•nata district no fewer than 84 JA.eor tracts were taken out. This figure beaten at Otero I '’,anga, Avh-yi’e 160 farm Civs took advantage of the scheme. 'Arnha. where an efficient poirimittec exercised careful . supervision over th° i pplicatiofiis, only 12 4A contracts we.i.o made. During the la ? t few weeks there has been a thorough investigation im . rij the contracts, the Unemployment' TVi«rd* s officials insisting that the intention cf the board shouid be carried -.pc] that relief labour should be employed on 'definitely developmental, ’work and not on the routine duties of the farm. As a result, of ...the investigation made at WnHmata. a iv-h’.-flevelpped farm district, the .80 4* contracts referred to, have beef) re /lu,to two. Manv' of ; 'thp" birme”! wbeve labour had ben snb'id : ‘ed >' r the board have agreed to keep the men on and to pay the full wages them>?lves. ,