“MUST EARN IT”

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 169, 10 March 1932, Page 6

“MUST EARN IT”

COMPLAINTS REGARDING WORK DONE BY RELIEF MEN. LABOUR ON FARMs! "It is talrihg an effort for the people in the country to find this money and these men must be made to realise that they must earn it," said the chairman of the Rotorua Coun y Couneil, Mr. H. P. Ford, at yesterday's meeting of the Couneil, when eomplaints were received regarding t.ie amount of work done by men employed on relief work on farms in the district. The engineer, (Mr. T. S. Robertson) stated that he had reeently discharged one man who had been loafing on the job and had been aeting as an agitator. In committe, a councillor gave i 1stances of th? behaviour of unemployed men which had eome under his personal notice. The engineer stated that he had r. oi . received many complaints. but h: thought this was really beeause the farmers considei'ed that they wero getting the labour for nothing and had no right to complain. If they had to pay two shillings ? head for each man they would mahe sure they did the work," said Cr. W. Steele. "I really think some of the responsibility should be placed up m the settlers. Cr. R. Copeland Smith said he considered that the least settlers could do was to supervise the men and see they carried out the work. It was not fair to leave the men with nothing to do. Several councillors expressed the opinion that the majority of the men really worked well, but that steps should be taken to discipline other men who are loafing. The engineer was given author ty to stand down any relief worker whom he considered was not satisfaetory, and it was also suggested that settlers should supply information to the Couneil in cases where it was c~nsidered that relief workers were r.ot doing an honest day's work.