MILLION FOR WORKLESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 453, 7 September 1928, Page 16

MILLION FOR WORKLESS

BIG UNEMPLOYMENT SCHEME USING HIGHWAYS MONEY The City Council was last evening asked by Cr. A. J. Stallworthy to support a move to urge the Government to utilise unexpended balances in the main highways account in a huge unemployment relief scheme. Cr. Stallworthy asserted that the unexpended balances in July amounted to £922,887, and local body subsidies brought the total to £1,230.116. He estimated that this sum could be utilised to give work to 4,612 men at the rate of £ 4 a week for one year. His suggestion was that the Government should create an emergency account with the amounts available, and that the Highways Board should formulate four schemes, one in each main centre, the Auckland one being the road from Auckland to Hamilton. He preferred concrete to bitumen work, as concrete kept all the money in the country. He considered that such a step would relieve local bodies and hospital boards, would give business an immediate impetus, and would restore confidence. Cr. E. J. Phelan, who seconded, urged the necessity of immediate relief. The scheme would be reproductive and would be far better than schemes in which public money was being wasted. Cr. Stallworthy’s proposal will go to the Government.

ments is to relax the very rigid conditions imposed by the original Bill on auctioneers, both in the conduct of sales and in arranging and accounting for them. The muchrdebated clause providing for a trust account, which it was contended would have deprived auctioneers of useful floating capital, and so tended to raise auctioneering costs, particularly to stock vendors, has been deleted in its entirety. m & m An Early Night After disposing of a large number of local Bills the House was evidently quite ready to adjourn at 11.45, and one or two members were sitting with their coats on when the Prime Minister called on the next item on the Order Paper. “I hope the Prime Minister is not going any further to-night,” said Mr. H. E. Holland. “He has already got through an enormous amount of business.” Mr. Coates: But there’s been no Government business in it. Mr. Holland: It is Parliament’s business though. There would be a late night to-morrow, he continued, and it would be only fair to let members have an e’arly night. Mr. Coates said that the electors would think they were, slacking on the job. Mr. J. McCombs: The late Prime Minister used to adjourn consistently at 11 or 11.30 p.m., but you’ve always made it an hour later. Mr. Coates: It’s hard to withstand these pleadings. He finally agreed that the House should adjourn, and members dispersed in good humour. * * * Euchre Tournaments

A further petition in connection with euchre tournaments was presented to Parliament. It was signed by 87 residents of Christchurch, and it asked Parliament to amend the law so that school and other committees holding such entertainments for public benefit, charging admission and giving prizes, would be allowed to carry on without further interference.