MINISTER EXPLAINS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 78, 4 May 1929, Page 2

MINISTER EXPLAINS.

Per Press Association.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING'.

WELLINGTON. Last nigbt. An outline of the efforts the Government is making to relieve _ unemploymeut was given by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) to-night. The Minister said he had instructed his engineers to expedile any road or other public works that could he put in hand to relieve the present position, which, as far as Wellington was concerned, had not been greatly accentuated until quite recently. As an indication of the Goyeernment's activities the Minister said the Public Works Department was placing 200 men in Auckland, while the Forestry Department was taking 011 50 men immediately. and a furtlier 200 men shovtly. In Wanganui arrangeinents were heing made to absorb 25 men immediately on the ^Wanganui river left banlc road. The Prime Minister when in ChrisV churcli arranged for the placing of 250 men, and the Forestry Department woulcl be absorbing there another 200 about the middle of next month. Towards the end of June the Forestry Department would be able to place 100 men in Dunedin. Arrangements had been made for the placing of 24 men on public works in Invercargill. The Minister mentioned also that the subsidies promised to iocal bodies for the current financial year totalled £107,756, of which sum £16,601 had been approved since the present Government came into power. Instructions tliat the numbers of men on public works were to be increased were issued on December 17, on which datc there were 12,530 men employed. By February 23 tlie number had increased to 14.554, but there had been a slight reduction since tlien, and the total number employed on April 27 was 13,850. coinpared with 11,038 on April 28, 1928. Thus there were 2812 more men employed on public works now than at the corresponding period last year excluding contractors and local bodv employees. The average number of Government employees in Marcli, 1929. was 10.286, compared with 7605 in Maich, 1928, an increase of 2681. The Minister added that 4700 men had been sent to public works, inchiding rnilwa.v works, since the assumption of office hy the present Government.