H. —35.

July, 1935 : One of the previous concessions to relief workers losing time on account, of sickness was that the Unemployment Board would pay the usual ration of relief during the first week of such sickness, although, strictly speaking, the Board has no responsibility for relieving distress except amongst those willing and able to work. Such lost time was required to be made up within three weeks of a man resuming relief work, but from July, 1935, this condition was waived, and time lost through sickness, as in the case of wet weather, is not now required to be made up. July, 1935 : In the Auckland Province there are a number of camps controlled by County Councils where relief workers are employed full-time at special rates of pay under a variation of Scheme 5, " Over the Fence." During this month the Board arranged to increase the rates of pay to married men, who comprised the personnel of the majority of these camps, by ss. per week. July, 1935 : In the past,' relief workers on a part-time basis were required, generally speaking, to work the full number of hours represented by their ration of relief pay according to the daily rate for the time being in force. As from this date, the Board intimated to local bodies and other employing authorities that such men need work only to the nearest half day below the number of hours represented by their approved ration of work in cases where odd hours above a full day or half day are involved. July, 1935 : Single men who have been employed in a relief camp (except those-working full-time at standard rates of pay) for a continuous period of at least twelve months are now permitted to return to town and to be placed on relief in town, principally to give them an opportunity of seeking for permanent private work. After the man has been in town for one month and during that time has been unsuccessful in obtaining private work, he may be required to return to camp in the event of there being any vacancies. The same concession applies to any married man who has been m a relief camp for twelve months or more, providing he has not received full-time work at standard rates of pay. Those men who leave the camps under these conditions have their fares paid from camp to town by the Unemployment Board. SUPPLEMENTARY RELIEF. (a) Issue of Boots and Blankets. To ensure that men in receipt of unemployment relief would continue to have suitable footwear, particularly during the winter months, the Unemployment Board granted a further issue of workingboots during the year. Up to 31st March, 1935, 110,000 pairs had been actually distributed to the men through the first and second issues authorized by the Board. The Board also continued its distribution of single-size blankets to single men in camp and extended this concession to subsidized gold-prospectors on condition that repayment for the blankets were made from the proceeds of any gold sold. As an additonal measure of winter relief the Board decided to issue a pair of double-size grey blankets to each married man receiving assistance under its schemes. Certain conditions of eligibility must be complied with, as in the case of boots, and, in general, the issue does not apply to married men workino- in subsidized employment where they receive more than £2 10s. per week. In°accordance with the policy of the Board to supply articles of good quality, a standard was set and manufacturers were invited to submit tenders. Orders have been placed with ten woollen mills for the supply of some 30,000 pairs of double-size blankets, and deliveries should be completed by the end of August. The Board also purchased a supply of single-size blankets for issue to single men m necessitous circumstances employed under Schemes Nos. 5, 4c, and 4d, and to single men m receipt of sustenance. To meet this demand, and to further provide for men in camps and gold prospectors, orders have been placed with manufacturers for the supply of 3,500 pairs of single blankets.^ Orders have also been placed for 22,500 pairs of working-boots, and these are being distributed to the men as soon as they come to hand. It is pleasing to report that under the rigid system of examination of footwear and blankets very few complaints have been received regarding the boots distributed and these have almost without exception proved to be unfounded, whilst favourable comments have been made on the excellent quality of the blankets supplied. (b) Issue of Food Rations. For some three years relief payments in the four main centres have been supplemented in specially necessitous cases by the issue of food ration orders. Where, owing to sickness amongst members of the family or in the ease of a man with a large number of dependants, some additional relief was undoubtedly warranted, the relief recipient was given orders to a certain value, enabling him to obtain groceries, milk, &c., these orders being redeemed by local tradesmen on application to the Certifying With the introduction of an amended scale of relief payments in January, 1935, such scale being more flexible in that provision is made for transferring men to a higher class m certain special circumstances there is not now the same necessity for ration orders in the four main centres. This form of supplementary relief is therefore limited generally to the issue of milk orders m an effort to combat malnutrition,'to the provision.of special " Karitane " products before and after the confinement of a relief worker's wife, and to other special assistance to meet individual needs.

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