UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 247, 18 October 1926, Page 16

UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —You are to be congratulated on your recent leadet on the above subject. It is obvious that for some reason the Minister is out to minimise the extent of unemployment. A reference to page 40 of the September "Monthly Abstract of Statistics," published by the Government, shows that 5.3 per cent of the workers in New Zealand and 11.6 per cent of the workers in Auckland are unemployed, assuming the 220 unions (about half the number in the Dominion) covered adequately represent the position. The same table shows 3912 unionists unemployed out of 47,142 unionists covered by the statistics. This is a very different thing from tho .2!) per cent quoted by Mr. Anderson, and shows that only a small fraction of the unemployed are actually on the Labour Department's books. Mr. Anderson knows better than this, for a reference to "Hansard shows that during the last week of August, Mr. Anderson admitted in tiie House that at least .04 (not .04 per cent) of the workers of the Dominion were out of work. Even as it is, the unemployment rate in New Zealand (5.3 per cent) is not as acute as in many countries, the latest available figure's being: Germany 15.6 per cent. Denmark 15.8, Hungary IS.S, Great Britain 14, Norway 24.5,"Sweden 9.7, and Tasmania 14.2 per cent. The latest figure, for Canada is 7.3 per cent, for Victoria 7.1, for New South Wales 7.5, and for Belgium only 1.4 per cent.—l am, etc., N. (To the Editor.) Sir.—l earn a few shillings a week by buying and selling papers. Being unable to pay for my room out of this (I have no fixed stand) I applied to the Charitable Aid Board for assistance. I obtained two weeks' assistance, with a renewal of one week. The third week I was told "if doing nothing" to attend a board meeting. That same day I obtained employment as a sandwich man at S/ per half day. After one hour's work I was told by a traffic inspector. "No sandwich men in Queen Street." 1 i returned' to the theatre, told the manager what the traffic inspector had said. "Oh, well," he said, "take the boards off," and he gave mc a shilling. He had also promised mc three or four days this week. Now, sir, by this morning's work (1/) I missed the Charitable Aid Board meeting. I was told I need never apply for further assistance. In other words, if living on charity, you must continue to do so, ad infinitum, and must not attempt other employment. I might here remark that no exception was taken to six of us who carried sandwich boards for Chaliapin at the Town Hall. But that was the Town Hall, and not a picture show called "The Monster." I am a Londoner. and have travelled the world over many times, and sandwich men are employed in all the principal thoroughfares of the world—barring Auckland.—l am, etc.. J. H. OWEN. (To the Editor.) Sir. —There have lately been many letters in your columns regarding unemployment from its different aspects, most of them depicting the serious position of a married man who is unemployed. It is not an enviable position, but there does not seem to be anybody who is in sympathy with a young single man. I have been unemployed now three months, and during all that time I have had my name down at the Labour Bureau, but it is waste of time going to see what is doing, as the married come first. I have searched everywhere for the mush-wanted work, bat no hope. "Anyway what has a young fellow got to worry about? He has no responsibilities or anything." If he did get married it would not guarantee him work by any means. Even a single fellow cannot live on nothing. Another familiar cry is "Why don't ygu go on a farm?" I know why, because I have been there before. My complaint is not of the long hours, small wages, etc., but that most of the farmers I have come into contact with as employers do not seem to realise that a fellow, even though he is a farm hand, is entitled to a little more consideration than a dog. If space did not forbid I would like to describe my room on one farm. Suffice it to say it was very small, and used as the general store room. The sentiments expressed in several of your leading articles, whicli have appeared lately on the subject of immigration and the effect on the labour market, are very sound indeed. On one day recently 200 immigrants arrived, and (500 more" a few days later. Clearly something will have "to be done. In common with many others I think that New Zealand is fast becoming no place for New Zealanders.—l am, etc., A YOUNG NEW ZEALANDER.