"THIS SESSION."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 223, 20 September 1929, Page 9

"THIS SESSION."

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE. DEMAND FOR ACTION. COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, his day. That the Government should take action this session to deal with unemployment insurance was the recommendation of the Labour Bills Committee when reporting on the Unemployed Workers' Bill. The committee made this recommendation in the realisation that the bill in its exising form (it was framed by Mr. P. Fraser, the Labour member for Wellington Central) could not proceed. Following the presentation of this report, Labour members urged the Government to introduce a scheme of unemployed insurance this session, Mr. Fraser stating that the Labour party would be willing to stay on in Wellington for as long as the Government liked, providing the session was extended to make time for the enactment of the necessary legislation.

Mr. J. S. Fletcher, Government member for Grey Lynn, joined with the Labour members in urging the Government to take action. Pie said the present proposals would not meet the situation. If the' House was in earnest about dealing with unemployment, schemes could be devised. He believed things . were going to be worse in future, and he felt much trepidation concerning the situation, and the time was ripe for action. The report was adopted. Unemployment Analysed. An analysis of the incidence of unemployment, contained in the Labour Department's report, shows that whereas .in former years unskilled workers constituted one-half, the proportion increased in the last two years to twothirds, the remainder being distributed amongst farmhands, drivers, hotel workers and cooks, carpenters and joiners, clerical workers, engineers, gardeners, painters, glaziers, storemen and packers, seamen and firemen, shop assistants and salesmen, and miscellaneous. It is shown that building has slackened during the last two years. j

Inquiries made in different districts of the Dominion .show the following reasons for the present state of slackness: Engineering.—lncreasing use of elec- , tricity, for which motors, etc., are imported, has had the effect of slowing up the trade. Electrical.—Owing to the completion of the hulk of reticulation work, the men employed on wiring are experiencing difficulty in keeping in employment. Saddlery.—This trade continues to recede in importance with the increase in motor traction. Boot Manufacturing—lmportations, and prejudice against the local article. 1 Those connected with the industry are optimistic, however, that the Footwear Committee's deliberations will have a beneficial effect upon the trade. Gumcligging.—lt is estimated that 700 men have ben compelled to leave the diggings in the Far North on account of the discovery of a cheap substitute. Sawmilling.—The West Coast and Hamilton districts report a gradual improvement, whilst Wanganui reports that nine mills have closed on account of the cutting out of bush, and that no new ones have been opened. Meat Freezing. —A quiet season has been experienced in several districts, where the amount of stock handled was less than that of last year. New Zealand's unemployed in July equalled 18.373 of the population, and the opinion is expressed that this is much lower than in other countries.