NATIVE UNEMPLOYED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 370, 3 November 1932, Page 6

NATIVE UNEMPLOYED

Our District Representative)

CONCERN EXPRESSED AT INCREASE IN NUMBERS REGISTRATION DIFFICULTIES

(From

' The usual fortnightly meeting of the Whakatane Unemployment Committee was held in the County Chambers last night. In the absence of Mr. W. Sullivan, Mr. Howat occupied the chair. Complaints had been re- 1 ceived by members of the * committee I of the misuse of 4A employees. It was decided to have the various cases investigated and if possible to have a complete inspection of 4A workers in the whole district. The most serious problem facing the committee is the number of natives who are receiving reli'ef and whose number on the register is continually increasing. The supervising officer stated that a total of £467 had been paid out in one month to natives on the various relief schemes and that of the total unemployed men on the register, over 50 per cent. were Maoris. The trouble is being accentu- , ated by the applications being received from the outposts of the county. Registrations are coming in from the Rua country towards Maungapohatu and Ruatahuana and great difficulty is experienced in endeavouring to test out the genuineness of the various applicants. Some time ago the Whakatane committee made a reques't to both the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Nativq Minister to have access to the rent roll of the Maoris but no satisfaction h'as been received. One member gave as his opinion that if Maori registrations kept on increasing at the rate in which they had during the last month that before long the majority of natives in the county would be on the relief list.