UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4547, 23 December 1930, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

; : COMMITTEE MEETING. -.•- . • / ' A meeting of“ lhe Foxton Uneni- ■ ployment Committee was held in (Council ICliambcrs Inst cvcn'in*, presided ojver by the Mayor W;.' (Mr. M. E. Perreau). Also present were Messrs J. Langdon, W. , H. Walton, D. R, Parr on, D. Ball, lv. Owen, F. Shaw, T. Sim, 0. Dawson;‘ W. Ross and the scere•S tary (Mr. W. Trueman). Apologies -for absence were received from Messrs W. E. Barber and .T. K. • Hornblow. THE SANATORIUM ROAD. '•; Mr., 0. Dawson reported that good progress was being made with - the Sanatorium Road. The forc.ninn, however, now desired that the gang be reduced to 20 as he could not manage 40 now that the levels had been reached. Tie had also asked for four men experienccd in mdtal spreading and those had been selected. Owing to the nature of the work these men would have to remain on permanently until the road was completed. Mr. Dawson’s action in regard (o U the matter was endorsed. FAILURE TO REPORT FOR DUTY. The secretary said that during the week the executive had been put to considerable inconvenience C Kv .ifien failing to report for duty after their names had been posted 1 on the notice board. This meant tliat the gangs were working short. The committee would haye to take steps to remove any man from the register who did not accept work allocated to him. Mr. Langdon said that sickness should ibe the only excuse for a man failing to work when selected. He knew of some eases where men had been selected for work and they did not go but remained about town. The di airman suggested that possibly 80 of the offenders had obtained work elsewhere. Mr. Shaw said that some of the men expected the executive to run - round and advise them when they had been allocatd work. The committee would have to take a. stand on the matter, as it was not fair when men did not turn up to work. Constable Owen said the notice to work was posted up daily at

i lie Police Station and it was not £ ' difficult to see. On Saturday niglit 'if lie left the light on until after tlie A/ -pictures so that everyone would / have a chance of (viewing the list. Thu secretary said that when a man failed to notify the Labour V Department that he was out of • work lie was automatically struck • off the roll. The committee did not function quite aloug those lines, hut when it found work for a man and he did not turn up the committee had done its duty by him and it should not worry further over him. v It was decided that when a man fails to work when selected the worik be recorded against him as if he had actually done it, unless no- • tideation /of his uueligi'bleness he v received before baud. ,H\' • ASSISTING THE SINGLE 4 - MIEN, d' ill*. Ball asked what steps were v': being taiken to assist single men. Be had been told by a brother of ' 4 one such man that no work was being given to single men. . The secretary referred to the decision of a previous meeting that single men be given two days to the - ma mod men’s four, on the Sanatorium Road. This had been carried out arid-further the person referred to had actually had work. ! \ Mr. Ball said that evidently 1 some misleading statements were , being circulated. A. 4 DAMAGE TO TOOLS. Mr. Dawson referred to the fact that some of the men on the Sanatorium job were supplying their own tools and in one case a shovel bundle had been broken. He tho- . light the committee should see to it that the man concerned did not have to foot the bill. The chairman said the matter was one for the Harbour Board and agreed to place it before the local committee. . - THE HIMATANGI HIGHWAY. Mr. Dawson reported that the . twelve men selected for the Himatangi highway job left Noxton on Sunday and were now engaged on formation work near Sanson. : ; , A vote of thanks was passed to Mi-. A. Walls who conveyed the men and their gear to Sanson gratuitously.

INSURANCE. With regard to insurance on unemployment relief work, the following letter was received from the Unemployment 'Commissioner (Mr. Malcolm Fraser) : “Legal liability for workers' compensation risk will be undertaken by tbe Board only in those eases where employers under scheme No. 2 arc not insured at this date (December 17th, 1930). The undertaking by, the Board of the liability is an emergency measure, and is not intended to displace insurance covers already in .existence or provide an inducement for employers In lapse existing policies. “Where an accident to a worker under scheme No. 2 occurs and the employer is not insured against workers’ compensation liability, I lie employer must notify the a ccident. immediately in writing to the nearest branch of the State Fire and Accident Office. The branch office will then, as speedily as possible, make inquiries and inform the (Board as to whether or not liability for workers’ compensation has arisen, and the extent of that liability. Settlement will be effected through the Stale. Fire and \ evident Office.’’ PALMERSTON NORTH -CONFERENCE. The chairman reported that be had visited Palmerston North on Saturday to attend the conference between the Mayors of the various towns of the district and Mr. P. Small (member of the Unemployment. Board). Unfortunately, however, half an hour before the meeting Mr. Small received advice from Ihe Board to suspend all proceedings and the meeting was conse-picnt-ly not held. Mr. Shaw suggested that possibly the reason for staying proceedings was on account of the Arbitration Court pot having given its decision on the flaxmilling dispute. Mr. Perreau said no reasons were advanced for the Board’s action. SACRED CONCERT. Air. Barron reported that he had been in touch with Mr. J. A. Nash, Af.P., with regard to holding a. sacred concert to raise funds for the committee. It was possible that a concert would Ibe held locally on Sunday week. It was decided that the next Meeting of committee be held on In nun w 19th. FEILDING CUTTING. Mr. W. E. Barber (chairman of the Manawatu County Council) visited Feilding yesterday in connection with the proposed site of a cutting to be carried out as relief work. Tie was able to finalise satisfactory arrangements with the owner of the land involved (Mr. W. Hunter, an ex-Fox ton resident) and work was scheduled to start to-day. RELIEF MORN AT TANOIMOANA. MINISTER AGREES TO ROAD WORK. FOR FOXTON UNEMPLOYED. Mr. J. Linklater, M.P., received (he following telegram this afternoon from the Hon. W. B. Taverner, Minister of Public Works: “Tn view of the large amount of unemployment- prevailing ax Foxton, the District Engineer was authorised recently to inform the Manawatu County Council that, if it will agree to fence the road line 1 would have the metalling of the Tangimoana Road undertaken as a. relief work without calling' on the Council for a contribution. “The Council has passed a resolution agreeing to erect the fencing when called upon by the Lands Department and the District. Engineer has been instructed to have tbe formation and metalling; commenced as soon as possible with unemployed from Foxton.”