UNEMPLOYMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 31, 7 February 1928, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT.

STATEMENT BY PREMIER RELIEF PROGRAMME. DETAILS NOT ANNOUNCED. EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. The Prime Minister, when interviewed by the "Star" correspondent to-day on the subject of unemployment, made an important statement, showing that so far as Governmental responsibility for relief is concerned the co-ordination cf official effort has been achieved, and the Auckland situation is now receiving attention.

"An officer who is devoting his whole time to the question, a member of the Prime Minister's Department, who has had the handling of the unemployment question all along, is now in Auckland," said Mr. Coates. "He will consult those concerned, and he has certain instructions, which will enable the position to be relieved to some extent. If, in his opinion, it is necessary for me to visit Auckland, I intend personally to attend to the matter. The other centres are also being attended to." Mr. Coates was asked what progress had been made in bringing together all the factors in State Departments capable of providing relief, and to what extent a programme had been developed. "Get Everybody to Assist." "The difficulty," he replied, "is that our programmes have to be pushed ahead to assist the unemployed. I don't think I will at this stage discuss the actual nature of the programme, for obvious reasons. Wc want to get everybody to assist in this national responsibility as far as practicable. It needs attention in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wanganui, Napier, and Palmerston North, where there are unemployed, though the exact totals I am not prepared to state. I can only take what is reported to me by public men in these centres, and those actually registered at the Labour offices. "The Government's programme will be indicated as soon as we are in a position to state the extent of the co-ordinated effort for assistance. This is a responsibility which rests 011 everybody's shoulders. The Government's Unemployment Committee worked during the recent holidays, and has dealt with all aspects." The Farmer's Difficulties. The Prime Minister pointed out that the present situation is not peculiar to New Zealand. Unemployment is widespread, due to a general economic depression as the result of the gradual flattening out of world prices. "Under these conditions," he said, "the farmer cannot employ labour. How can he? He is struggling as best he can without outside help. His costs are still at peak, while his returns are fluctuating. But the farmer in New Zealand was never better equipped in regard to knowledge, and the aid of scientific research will help. He has all these factors, and he is applying them with labour without stint, for the farmer does not worry about hours. He will pull through. However, his costs of transportation and manufacturing—all the charges his produce has to bear before it reaches the market—remain high. The material he uses is high priced, though so far as actual machinery is concerned by far the bulk of it is free from Customs tax so far as the Empire is concerned." "Signs of Silver Lining." Mr. Coates ended his statement in a reassuring strain. "In spite of it all," he declared cheerfully, "our farmers have undoubtedly made great progress in increasing production. I have seen many cases where in 1919-20 the returns amounted to £500, with butter at half-a-crown, while these small places last year took £1000 to £1250, and in one instance £1500, showing what has been done by improved animal husbandry, increasing the outputs per cow and improving the land, but with high costs these farmers are still up against it. They do not mind hard work, so long as they see some encouragement in future prospects, and I believe there are definite signs of a silver lining to the clouds."