WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 May 1921, Page 4

WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED.

AN OPUNAKE SUGGESTION. { o TO COMPLETE OPUNAKE RAILWAY. The members of the Egmont County Council, recognising the difficulty of maintaining the roads owing to the heavy traffic over them on account of the absence of railway facilities, never lose an opportunity of urging upon the Government the necessity of speedily completing the Te Roti-Opunake railway. At yesterday’s meeting the. matter was again before the council, which unanimously passed the following resolution: “In view of the reported movement by the Government to place unemployed men on work of minor importance, such a*s tree-planting, etc., this council desires to again bring before the Government the urgent necessity of the construction of the railway from Te Roti to Opunake, and also for its immediate consideration of the proposal to put surplus labor now available on to this important work and have it completed.” Cr. Ferguson, who proposed the resolution, said that it had been reported that the Government intended to find work for the unemployed by establishing plantations of trees on sand dunes, etc. He thought that it would be far better if the Government were to utilise the surplus labor to complete the Te Roti-Opunake railway. This work would pay much better, and moreover, take the traffic off the roads, which were now’ being destroyed by the heavy motor traffic. In response to previous requests they had been told that when labor was available they would get relief. Now there was plenty of labor, and this was a good district with a good climate, and the work was good, clean work. They would probably be told that the Government was short of money, but he pointed out that the Government would have to pay the men who planted the trees. Cr. Tosland, who seconded, said that while he did not consider tree-planting a matter of secondary importance, all the unemployed labor available should be devoted to the construction of arterial roads and railways The Te RotiOpunake railway could utilise all the surplus labor.

The resolution was earned without discussion, and it will be forwarded to Messrs. O. Hawken (M.P. for Egmont) and E. Dixon (M.P. for I?atea) for their support.