RELIEF WORK

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 71, 14 November 1931, Page 6

RELIEF WORK

UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD'S PLAN , FOR FARM LABOUR » CRITICISED. BOROUGH COUNCIL DOUBTFUL. The recently framed adaptation of the No. 5 unemployment scheme in order to permit farmers to obtain unemployed labour for developmental work, was briefly discussed by the Rotorua Borough Council at its meeting on Thursday evening. "It is a scheme Which reads very well on paper, but it is one which will have to be watched very closely," said the Mayor (Mr. T. Jackson). "Unless it is very closely supervised, it is liable to abuse. The difficulty I see about it is that unless arrangenrents can be made with the farmers to find the supervision costs, insurance costs and costs pf transport, the local bodies and the Unemployment Board will he financing the who.le of the work on these farms." "I would like to move that the Board be communicated with pointing out that the scheme is liable to abuse in some directions unless it is very closely supervised," said Cr. A. Smith. The Mayor: Of course, they will place the onus of that supervision on the local unemployment committees. Cr. Smith: I am not in love with the scheme at all. There may be some cases in which it can be employed profitably, but there are a lot more where it can't. Cr. E. T. Johnson said that as long as local bodies made enougir work for the men, the position need not occasion any concern. "They leave it to the local committees and certifying officer whether they make use of this scheme or not. The thing is not mandatory. It is left to the option of local committees," said the Mayor. After some further discussion, Cr. Smith moved that the local unemplcyment committee be communicated with expressing the opinion that the scheme was liable to abuse and needed careful supervision. The motion was carried.