"work for work's sake..."
Scheme 5
As a final desperate
attempt to provide work for the increasing ranks of unemployed, the government
began ‘Scheme 5’ in February 1931, however this scheme made the government even
more unpopular in the peoples’ eyes as they were dissatisfied with the rates of
pay and the arrangements where no work was provided in every fourth week.
Under this new work scheme, local bodies had to specify what
actual work needed doing and provide the material, the supervision and the
transport which men needed. Benefits were provided at different rates based on
gender, location and marital status. The Unemployment Board paid wages of
between $1.50 per week for a single man, and $4.00 per week for a man who was
married with three or more children. In towns, generally there was more pay. Jobs
were organised for people by local councils and private businesses and
generally married men were given work close to where they lived, while single
men were send to work camps in more isolated, rural areas. As the depression
grew more and more serious even such relief days were rationed and a stand-down
week was introduced after four weeks’ work so that what
little payment they received was cut down even further.
The rationing of work came to be that a single man could only work two days per week, a man who was married and with one child could work three days per week an four days per week for a man with two children. As the year progressed however, unemployment continued to climb and even this meager amount of work couldn’t be found for many. Further restriction had to then be put in place so that all men were to revive work for only three weeks in every four and no work or pay would be given to them in the fourth week. |
Workers on the New Zealand Unemployment Board's No 5 relief scheme digging a trench on a hill above a road in Wellington.Work such as this was given to people of all ages, classes and socioeconomic backgrounds. Those who were wealthy businessmen or upperclassmen would have found it utterly degrading, having to do such work.
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The number of unemployed men continued to increase but the work schemes provided by the government often only resolved the issues of half or less than half of those concerned. Of the many schemes introduced, Scheme 5 with the sustenance payments seemed to be the most productive and this was initiated only after the riots of 1932. As shown by the trendlines, the figures were never quite stable as the numbers fluctuated rapidly with changing government policies and regulations.
The bulk of the unemployed were given work through scheme 5 and some of it was of use to the community. The grounds of many of the current older secondary schools were formed under the scheme by men on relief. As mentioned before, the West Auckland Scenic Drive was another positive along with Fiordland’s Homer Tunnel and many of the Pinus Radiata (pine) forests across the Central North Island were planted at this time.
Most of the work however proved to be of little value to the community – hipping weeds from footpaths, trimming hedges and cutting laws. Dr Sutch in his book The Quest for Security in New Zealand, says that work was often made for work’s sake. “The local body which could suggest work to be done in the most inefficient way he says received more payments from the Unemployment Fund, for it could absorb more men for a longer time.” It would have been advantageous for many of the local bodies to make good use of the opportunity presented to them and actually put the cheap labour into work in order to build important community projects, which in the end would have made the men feel more dignified. Unfortunately, not many did so and the poor living conditions and the degrading work they were made to do made the relief men resent the government.
Most of the work however proved to be of little value to the community – hipping weeds from footpaths, trimming hedges and cutting laws. Dr Sutch in his book The Quest for Security in New Zealand, says that work was often made for work’s sake. “The local body which could suggest work to be done in the most inefficient way he says received more payments from the Unemployment Fund, for it could absorb more men for a longer time.” It would have been advantageous for many of the local bodies to make good use of the opportunity presented to them and actually put the cheap labour into work in order to build important community projects, which in the end would have made the men feel more dignified. Unfortunately, not many did so and the poor living conditions and the degrading work they were made to do made the relief men resent the government.