UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 922, 15 March 1930, Page 6

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

GAOL FOR UNWILLING WORKERS MR. GRiBBLE HITS OUT “In a country like tliis, with so many undeveloped assets, there should be no legitimate unemployment. An able-bodied man who would noc work should be sent to gaol.”

This opinion was expressed by Mr. N. G. Gribble, at the meeting of the Land Settlement and Development League yesterday.

“The only persons we should make j any provision for, are those who are 1 unable to work, and for those we' should provide charity,” he said. “When there is actually less land occupied today than nine years ago there should be no suggestion to raise a tax for providing relief for unemployed “Unfortunately political considerations have induced the Unemployment Committee to say that the prob- ! lem is not individual, but social, and . on that assumption any .socialistic i measures may be introduced. If 1 I am sent as a delegate of the : League to the conference of local j bodies called to consider proposals made by Mr. W..J. Holdsworth and Mr. A. J. Hutchinson, I shall oppose any scheme of unemployment insurance tha.t. imposes general taxation.” Messrs. M. G. McArthur and N. G. Gribble were appointed the delegates of the league to the conference. They were instructed to oppose the proposals of the Unemployment Committee. to state the league’s land development. suggestions, and to affirm clearly the principle of giving no relief without work. FORESTRY WORK TO CEASE WILL RESUME IN WINTER Press Association WELLINGTON, Friday. The closing down at the end of this month of the remaining forestry relief works camps, involving the discharge of 440 men, is announced by the Commissioner of State Forests, the Hon. YV. B. Taverner, who also indicated the possibilities of re-employ-ment when the planting season starts. The Minister stated that tiie planting programme of the State Forest Service for 1929 was considerably extended as part of the Government’s schemes for the relief of unemployment. The period in question was approximately from June to September, and during that time 700 men were placed in employment. By October the service had instituted a programme of essential and productive relief works, such as thinning, roading and clearing, with provision for the employment of up to 2.000 men during the summer peak. The number employed reached 1,820 in early December. “The majority of those works have now been carried to completion,” said the Minister, “and only two parties remain on work outside of the normal seasonal routine. These parties are at Rotorua, where there are 340 men, and at Tapanui, where 100 men are employed. In both of these districts, the programme set out in October last is now’ practically completed, and by the end of this month the extra camps bf the State Forest Service will be closed down. “The necessity for this step is regretted,” continued the Minister, “but is quite unavoidable owing to the nature of forestry work, which does not reach its maximum until the winter months. It may be pointed out that the men affected have had several months of fairly continuous work of a healthy nature under conditions which I have endeavoured to make as pleasant as was reasonably, possible. The most important point, however, is that while the remaining men have perforce to be released temporarily, the preparatory work they have completed will enable not merely a similar number, but many hundreds more to be engaged when the planting Season opens in a month or two, providing that the necessary funds are made available for the work. The extra funds provided last year by the Government for this forestry work amounted to £120,000, and an extra complement averaging 700 men has been maintained in employment throughout the summer season. Besides contributing so largely toward the relief of unemployment and preparing the way for a big programme this winter if required, there has beeri brought about a great improvement in the existing stands of young exotic trees.”