WINTER WORK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 June 1938, Page 8

WINTER WORK

LABOUR MINISTER OUTLINES PLANS POSITION OF SINGLE MEN MUST TAKE APPROVED FORM EMPLOYMENT (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 3. An announcement that country work is to be provided immediately for 3000 single men throughout the Dominion, including 400 in Auckland, was made by the Minister of Labour, the Hon H. T. Armstrong, on his arrival from Wellington. Additional work is also to be found for married men as near as possible to their places of abode. This is to meet the need of a number of men who have registered as unemployed on the cessation of seasonal work in various occupations. Single men for whom work is to be provided will be required to give an undertaking that if farm labour is required within the period of their employment and such work under approved conditions is offered to them they will accept it. Apart from the efforts of the placement officers, said the Minister, little had been done of late for single unemployed men but they had received sustenance when work was not available. The rotational scheme for giving four months’ employment in the year had been used almost exclusively for the benefit of married men for whom it was intended. Not long ago 200 single men had been struck off the register for refusing farm work in the Auckland province and a further 200 had voluntarily gone off the register rather than do likewise. As the off season for farm labour had now arrived, single men who had formerly refused it were being permitted to reregister and a number had done so. In order to provide for them over the winter months, work would be made available for 300 in State undertakings, including forestry and public works, on condition that they undertook in advance to accept approved farm employment when it was offering to them next season.

“We do not want men idle in or out of season,” remarked Mr Armstrong, “and when men are urgently required in a key industry such as farming, the Government would not be justified in keeping them on public yjorks.”

He added that the men would have to be prepared to live in camp. They would be transported to their jobs. Regarding proposals for married men, the Minister said that a list of contemplated works had been drawn up as a result of a conference between several Ministers and heads of departments. In all cases where work was provided in the vicinity of the homes of married men, the latter would be given preference over single men for such work. HAMILTON CONFERENCE JOBS FOR ALL ABLE-BODIED MEN (By Telegraph—Press Association.) HAMILTON, June 3. That he was co-operating with the Minister of Labour, the Hon H. T. Armstrong, and the Minister of Public Works, the Hon R. Semple, in an effort to arrange work for seasonal workers now unemployed, was stated by the Minister of Mines, the Hon P. C. Webb, when he visited Hamilton today.

Mr Webb attended a conference with engineers of the Public Works Department and county councils. The object of the meeting was to ascertain if there was any suitable work to be put in hand. It was the Government’s desire that all men able to work be provided with suitable labour. As a result of the conference, said Mr Webb, work would be made available for every able-bodied man, the class of work to be approved by the engineers concerned.

“The unemployment position throughout New Zealand is such that a number of seasonal workers have no employment. and our desire is to provide them with it," said Mr Webb. “The position is much better than in other years, but we are not satisfied with only an improvement. Mr Armstrong is investigating the position in Auckland, and when he is finished it is expected there will be no unemployment in this district. In the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay areas the matter has been attended to most effectively.” For the year ended May 31, the Hamilton office of the State Placement Service placed 2081 men in private employment. Of that total, which is exclusive of placements effected in State enterprises, 976 men were found work on farms.