UNEMPLOYMENT IN WAIHI

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5404, 25 March 1929, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT IN WAIHI

WORK PROMISED IM.MEDIATELY.

GOVERNMENT HAS SCHEME.

The matter, of unemployment in Waihi Was brought bqfore the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, by the Mayor of Waihi, Mr W. M. Wallnutt, on Friday last.

Mr Wallnutt pointed out that some men had been out of work since be-, ioi-e Christmas. The individual eftses were well known to him, and he, could vohch for the fact that they were genuine. The Minister would know of tlie best avenues for employment, but he would urge the early commencement of the Paeroa-Pokeno railwav, the Waihi-Whangainata road, the W*itawheta rqa<l, and the Pukejkauri road as avenues most suitable for the local men.

. Mr Bice, president of the Miners’ Union, also spoke on the unemployment question, and said that up to the present year the; Miners’ Union and Boiough Council had been able to deal with the problem, but this year sufficient c.ould not be done. The Waltawheta road particularly was urged as a suitable work on which unemployed men could be used. Registration at the post office had proved of practically no use in previous years, and the men had ceased to register. Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P., supported the representations and made a point of. the fact that during, the repent elections the United Party had promised to find work for»the unemployed. He was sure the Minister, who was in absolute charge of the means of finding work, would not let his Govern-. mejit down in its first year. He urged the claims of certain roads in the district which had been formed, and which would deteriorate rapidly unless completed by metalling. Incidentally, he pointed out the future of the Waihi-Whangamata road, and its continuation as a tourist road. • In ropy to the- Minister Mr A. P. Grant, resident engineer, explained that practically all the works which the Public Works Department had in hand in the district were finished, or nearly completed.

The Minister admitted the seriousness, of the problem. He said he wished he was a free agent to do as he liked, irrespective of the Government. However, a had been evolved and would be brought into operation in a few months. He would certainly have the master of the Waihi men looked into by the; officers of his department. It was desirable to use the men on the most reproduce tive works, for unless they knew that the work they were; doing was to some gobd' purpose they did) not. give value for the wages paid. He wished to emphatically deny the assertion that his Government had decayed in ta&kling the problem. ]aSt return had) received showed that 2999 men had been given relief work. was sorry that full figures of the amount, of unemployment in Waihi were not known, but the Miners’ Union’s president had mentioned twenty, and wbiuld guarantee to find 'work for twenty men immediately, it would be remembered that: the rate of pay had been increased. This was done, among other reasons, to enable the men to save some money so that in the intervals of lack of relief Work they cpluld look round for permanent jobs.