UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 276, 11 February 1928, Page 10

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

SURPLUS IN HAND ALL NOW ALLOCATED A report submitted to the unemployed committee yesterday afiernoon showed that altogether £9,292 18s 2d was donated in Auckland to unemployed funds, of which £3,670 14s lid is as yet unexpended. Of the sum unexpended £2,683 6s lid had been allocated, and was being expended on Walker Road, Domain, and Western Springs sports ground, leaving an unallocated fund of £987 Bs. The Government subsidy so far has amounted to £7,787 17s lid. The city engineer, Mr. W. E. Bush, estimated that £6OO would be necessary to complete the Epsom work, £BOO the Grey Lynn Park work, and £I,OOO the Walker Road work. The Government will subsidise all these undertakings pound for pound, the Mayor’s fund will supply half of the amount required at Grey Lynn, and the Patriotic Society will provide half of the amounts necessary at Walker Road and Epsom in terms of an understanding with the Mayor, whereby returned soldiers will be engaged on the two last-named schemes. This arrangement would enable all the works to be completed', said the Mayor, and the council could grass the areas later in the autumn. He estimated that 100 more men could be engaged on these works. Two months should see the completion of the works, with the exception of the Western Springs area, which would be carried on well into the winter, said Mr. Bush. The Mayor said in reply to a question that he thought there was no improvement in the unemployed position, but Mr. L. Marks considered that the position was twice as bad as it was four months ago. Mr. E. J. Phelan said 'that discounting overlapping the position was at least 50 per cent, worse, and the position was worse in that those who had money saved had spent it. It was decided to proceed with further work at Lynn children’s playground, which will absorb the balance of the funds. Mr. Phelan said the Patriotic Association *had to-day given work to 40 or 50 men for a fortnight. The Mayor said he had another £SO in view, and hoped that the citizens would continue to give donations if they could do so. He again pointed out that the committee knew nothing of the funds still being collected by canvassers, and that it carried ho Government subsidy. A suggestion was made that a bal-ance-sheet dealing with these outside funds would show a heavy proportion of administration costs.