COUNTY AFFAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1940, Page 7

COUNTY AFFAIRS

MEETING OF FEATHERSTON COUNCIL EMPLOYMENT OF SCHEME 13 MEN. CO-OPERATIVE CONTRACT WORK. (“Times-Age” Special.) The monthly meeting of the Featherston County Council is being held at Martinborough today. The chairman, Mr A. B. Martin was in the chair, there also being present: Councillors J. C. Bidwill, Guy Gillies, R. W. Matthews, L. J. Thompson, J. A. McLeod, R. Smith and D. Cameron. Accounts for £2360 were passed. Receipts since last meeting totalled £1738. A motion of sympathy with the chairman in the loss of his brother-in-law, the late Mr A. H. Warren, was passed. Members stood in silence as a mark of respect.

The Department of Health wrote in reply to the council's letter concerning the maintenance of the graves of the Zuleika victims at Cape Palliser. It was stated that the work of burying lhe victims was done as an act of grace by the Marine Department. The Department could not accept responsibility for the care of the graves. Enquiries had been made in other directions but there was no possibility of financial assistance from the Government. The matter was left in the hands of the County Clerk (Mr H. Hardinge). , , . An application of the secretary of the Red Cross Society and Order of St. John in Martinborough for'permission to conduct an organised campaign in the Featherston area for the sick and wounded appeal was agreed to. A letter was received from the New Zealand Counties’ Association stating that an overwhelming majority of county councils had agreed to a refund of Is 3d of the total amount of drivers’ licence fees collected after April 1, 1940. The Department of Labour wrote concerning the employment of Scheme 13 men, stating that the Department was agreeable to fit men being placed in co-operative contract work but only if such employment were within the terms of the award. If the contract were practical under those conditions any subsidy granted would be on a percentage basis. Until the Government’s decision regarding lhe future policy of Scheme 13 was determined it was regretted that the subsidy rate could not be stated. Contract work could not be approved in the case of semi-fit men whose employment would still be required to be continued on a day-labour basis. The matter was held over.

It was resolved that a general rate of 1 7-8 d in £ on the unimproved value of rateable property in the county be struck.