#relief work

"COMPLAIN OF WAGES ON EAST YORK JOB," Toronto Star. October 2, 1934. Page 24. ---- Council Urges Business Men to Close at Midnight on Saturdays ---- SEEK CITIZENS' AID --- Criticism of the allegedly low wages paid to men employed on the construction of the highway connecting Don Mills Rd. and Woodbine Ave., and the employment of non-residents on the job, was expressed in a communication from the Secord Ratepayers' association to East York council yesterday. A similar letter had been sent to Hon. Arthur Roebuck, minister of labor, it was stated.

Men employed in digging drains were earning approximately $1.75 per day, council was told. Drains four feet wide and eighteen inches deep were being dug by men paid four cents per foot, it was alleged. The rate had been increased to six cents following protests of ratepayers' associations.

"Council should take the matter up with the York County Good Roads commission, which has let the job to a contractor," suggested Deputy-Reeve John Doggett.

"How many of the men employed live in East York?" asked member.

"Only about ten per cent.." re-plied Works Commissioner Grant R. Jack, explaining that he had sup-plied the contractor with enough East York men to handle the work. "They took the East York men on, but gradually they have been let out." added the official.

The Woodbine Green Ratepayers' association urged that all foremen on "small" jobs be "working foremen". The complaint referred to the sidewalk gang which commenced work last week. In answer to the question of of Reeve Warren, the works commissioner explained the foreman in charge of men making sidewalk repairs was working alongside the men besides directing operations.

Council instructed the clerk to notify the association that the foreman was doing his share of the work.

Considering a request that council pass a by-law requiring all stores in the township to close at 8 p.m., except on Saturday, when the hour would be 10 p.m., members pointed out they did not have authority to take such action. Business men were asked to enforce more rigidly the 12 o'clock closing law for Saturdays and to urge citizens to shop "early" on Saturdays in co-operation with the merchants.

"DRIVE LAUNCHED TO GIVE JOBS TO MANY VETERANS," Hamilton Spectator. July 11, 1933. Page 7. ---- Salvage System is Successful in Toronto ---- Capt. Osborne-Dempster Proposes It Here ---- Men Are Removed From Dependence on Relief ---- A plan that will take 50 war veterans off relief immediately, and which, it is hoped, will take off at least twice that number, is to be launched in this city within the next week, Capt. W. J. Osborne-Dempster, M.C., head of the Veterans' Salvage Corps, of Toronto, announced yesterday. With arrangements completed for warehousing and a market for their goods, it only remains for the welfare board to forward the names of 50 veterans on relief to the Salvage Corps headquarters and the work will start. The plan is to have a squad of veterans call on householders throughout the city and arrange with them to collect their old news-papers, magazines, rags and bottles, and when lists are prepared at least six truck drivers will be sent by the welfare commissioner to the salvage corps for collecting the waste material. The collection will be made daily the same as the unit is working in Toronto, and where in seven weeks $2,000 in material has been gathered. The men work on a percentage basis, with 87 cents of every dollar being paid to employees, while the 13 cents goes for overhead, such as rentals for ware-housing, telephone expenses and other incidentals.

Successful. in Toronto When Captain Denipster started this work in Toronto, where at present about 300 veterans are employed, he found that the salvage of the city was not even scratched and estimates that at least five dollars' worth of material is thrown out every year by householders of any city. The salvage corps also wishes it understood that they do not interfere with commercial enterprises which are contracted to collect material from firms, but only wish to collect articles which are at present wasted and which could make money for men on relief. The business is run on a strictly cash basis, as the material is sold every night, with nothing held over.

"UNEMPLOYED LOSE FULL DINNER PAIL," Montreal Star. August 1, 1934. Page 3. ---- Meurling Refuge Diet Different From That of Closed Institutions ---- A sudden change of diet this morning met a considerable crowd of men who, after subsisting at the Inspector and Belmont street refuges for many months, found it necessary to move to the Meurling Refuge last night.

One of the men from the Inspector street refuge tells how they had two eggs and a plate of beans, bread and coffee yesterday morning for breakfast; and last night, roast beef, cabbage, potatoes, pudding, tea and bread "as much as you wanted to eat."

And this morning, two slices of bread and a bowl of coffee! And nothing more will be available at the Meurling Refuge until 7 o'clock tonight, when another two slices of bread and another bowl of coffee will be served before they go to bed.

CHEQUES DELAYED Bona fide Montreal residents are supposed to receive $1.50 for rent and $1.85 for food every week, $3.25 in all, but it is reported that some 50 men from the Inspector street refuge who registered as bona fide Montreal citizens at St. George's ward, found that perhaps owing to the delays in investigating each registration to make sure that they are genuine Montrealers, their cheques were not available this morning, and will not be ready until next Saturday.

Pending conclusion of investigations therefore, it would appear as if a number of these unemployed homeless men would have to subsist on a rigid reducing diet.

These men have been authorized to sleep at the Meurling Refuge until such time as their cheques start coming to them regularly, after which they will be expected to find themselves sleeping accommodation elsewhere.

454 AT REFUGE There were 454 men who went to the Meurling Refuge last night, and this total included a number of men sleeping there temporarily until they go on the city's relief payroll. From this the superintendent, Albert Chevalier concludes that probably the number of transient unemployed is coming down.