RELIEF WORK

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 119, 12 January 1932, Page 6

RELIEF WORK

- NO. 5 SCHEME NEW STRINGENT CONDITIONS IN OPERATION IN ROTORUA STRANGE OFFIGIAL SILENCE The new conditions of employment un'der the Unemployment Board's No, 5 Scheme eame into operation in Rotorua yesterday morning. Relief worlters will be called upon to work five days a week unless they liave secured employment with private persons. The Rotorua borough contingent detailed for work yesterday morning totalled 211 and of this number 53 are single men. The Rotorua County Council has approximately 70 men engaged, but of these only about half a dozen are single men. . So far as the borough is concerned there are considerably more men unemployed tlian were given work on Monday, but it appears that many of these have not yet sought engagement. Whether they have negleeted to make applieation, or whether they have obtained other work or do not approve of ' the new conditions is not known to the authorities, but it will be necessary for these men to keep in touch with the eommittee otherwise they will sacrifice their opportunity of secui'ing relief work. The new conditions set forth by the local eommittee are as follows: — Men obtaining private employment rnust get a chit from their employer stating the number of days worlced, the class of work and the wages paid. A single man must work two days on relief work to obtain 18s and five days for the same amount unless the balance of the week is covered by a • chit. A three-day man must work three days on relief work to obtain £1 17s 6d, and five days for the same amount unless covered by a chit. Any man not obtaining private work must work the full five days (40) hours on relief work. Positiom Gbscure These are the conditions under which men may obtain work from the Rotorua Borough and County Councils. From what can be learned ai present the provisions are speciall) applied to Rotorua, but there is the suggestion that they may become gen- ' eral before very long. However. there is no authority for this belief. because Mr. J. S. Jessep, 'deputy chairman of the Unemployment Board refused when questioned, to say hov. far the provisions made liere would apply to other centres. The olficers of the Rotonui eommittee are also in the dark and can give no defmite information. It may be aeecpted, however, with reasonable confidence, that the new scheme is in the nature of an experlment to ensure employment being given to genuine cases. Suspieion ha: been voiced that men are obtaining relief work wlio are nct actually ir. J need and the revised conditions ain ' at inducing these men to seek private employment or work full time fo: ( the local authority. ' On the other hand there is m some 5 auarters an uneasy feeling that the ' compulsory hours have been intro- ' duced with the purpose of bringing about a general lower.ng of the wage standard. In any case, it is felt that the position is sufficiently obscure to warrant a definite and frank ofiicial statement.