THE UNEMPLOYED.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 August 1922, Page 5

THE UNEMPLOYED.

RELIEF WORKS PROGRESS. ABOUT :£2ooa RAISED. WORKERS’ SUBSIDY FAILS. The meeting of the New Plymouth Unemployment Relief Committee last night was attended by the Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) in the chair, and Messrs. J. Connett, IT. Brookman, A*. Mac Diarmid, W. H. Skinner, G; Roper, J. Brown, Clarke, Blacker, and Mr. W. 11. Cook (borough engineer). Mr. Cook submitted a statement regarding expenditure from the commencement of the work until Tuesday, the Bth inst., which showed that the sum of £BO3 2>s 4d had been spent, made up as follows:—Total wages paid, £5ll 9s 3d; teams, £234 4s 4d; tools, £39 3s 9d; miscellaneous (accident insurance, £l6 17s 6d; cheque book, 16s; advertising, 17s ,6d) £llB ss. The works in progress comprise: Western Park improvements, 35 men; Gilbert Street filling, 8 men; Mt. Bryon, 2 men; cemetery, 4 men; Kawaroa Park, 3 men; Huatoki reserve, 4 men.

The report continued: “The total number on the pay sheet on August 9 was 53. The men have settled down, and, with few exceptions, are handling their tools in a more workmanlike manner. The exceptions are those who are not so physically fit for hard manual labor. Messrs. Roper and Brabyn undertake the responsibility of selecting the men to be employed, and assure me married men are given preference over single men. I have withdrawn some six or seven of the better class workers from the relief works and given them employment upon borough work. I regret being under the necessity of reporting an accident to one of the men working at Western Park, who was hurt by a fall of earth on Wednesday last. He was immediately taken to the hospital, and to-day’s report is to the effect that he is getting better, but it will be, some time before he is able to get about.” • FUTURE OPERATIONS. The Mayor intimated that the object of the meeting was to consider the advisability of holding further meetings. Things are going well; married men were being given preference, and this would be continued. He did not think there was any further need to meet until they had to wind up. He thought, however, that they should hand over now the £l6O promised to Pukekura Park, as they might come to the end of their funds and find that they had not sufficient money in hand to do this. It was decided to pay the £lOO. Inquiry was made .as to the funds that were available, the Mayor stating that, roughly, they had received about £2OOO. Regarding the football match last week, he now found that there was a tag attached to that donation to the effect that £52 should be spent on the sports ground. Mr. Cook undertook to supply a detailed statement showing the amounts spent on the various works and what had been actually done. Members of the committee thought that the public wtjis not fully aware of the good work which had been done, and such a statement would convince them. Mr. Mac Diarmid asked the committee’s opinion concerning the subsidy from the Returned Soldiers’ Association. He would likely to know whether the money should be paid in now or held until the fund was exhausted to provide work for unemployed soldiers. Members thought that the money c.ould best be used now, and Mr. Mac Diarmid agreed to this. Discussing the works in progress, comment was made on the work at Western Park, and a resolution was passed that the work at the south-east corner should be made similar to tuav at the south-west corner. It was also decided to visit Mt. Byron and see what could bp done there. The Mayor drew attention to the fact that the reply of the Minister of Public Works concerning their application for relief works had stated that the Government was now doing all it possibly could. Now he saw Mr. Dixon, M.P.. reported as saying that any application he had made to the Minister was immediately granted. The committee thought they should take further action, and the Mayor undertook to draw the Minister’s attention to the statement and to make a fresh application. WORKERS’ SUBSIDY Mr. Blacker, a representative of the Workers’ Council, raised the matter of the workers’ subsidy to bring the relief pay up to award rates. They regretted that the response to their application had not been as good as it might be. Their chief difficulty had been in arranging to collect the .contributions from the workers, and the council had abandoned the idea of the subsidy. They had just under £5O in hand, and it had been decided to hand over this amount to the general fund. The Mayor thought they had taken the right course. The council would now appreciate the difficulties which the committee had encountered in raising funds.

Mr. Brookman said there was no doubt that the action by the council had dampened the spirit of the public, and he was sure that had the resolution [not been passed the Pierrots would have raised £2OOO instead of £l2OO.