UNEMPLOYED QUESTION.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9124, 7 June 1895, Page 6

UNEMPLOYED QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. j Sib, —Mr Lock seems to consider that I passed over the state of our position too ourtly in my correspondence of May 14th. If I did so it is nob because I do not realise what oar position w; it is rather because I have not the time nor the inclination just now to wade through all the mass of national borrowing, taxation, public works (productive and unproductive), and so on. Besides, it is getting away from my offer of Slay Bth, namely, that with the use of £2000, placed in hands of a trustworthy committee, I am prepared to meet and extinguish the uuemployed, so far as concerns Curistchurch. Sitice you published the above there seems to have been very little notice taken of the same, which seems to indicate that there is very little practical philanthropy, or sympathy, with the labourer existem. If all our highlyvaunted sympathy from time lv time wa3 only accompanied with a little practicality, inthe shape of sincerity and cash, we could soou get over the difficulty. But, instead, it seems that if one sincere man come forward all the professed sympathisers arise to ridicule, find fault, and denounce the ideas thus given, and consequently the cause goes no further ahead. I c.-vi put £50 to the above, perhaps more. If Mr Lock is sincere, perhaps he can do the same, and if a few other sympathisers will do the same, we could give it a trial. It is well worth trying. Mr Lock thinks that various industries, assisted by Government, would have the effect of employing all that required employment. I (tare say it would, but eveu then I don't think the lot of the labourer would bo raised much above the lot of a nation of slaves. But I don't think Government will do this, because Government has such various interests to serve that it seems an impossibility for them to do other than we are doiug at present. We have uo need to look to Government for all we want, but we must do what we want for ourselves wherever it is possible. Then we might trust to the Government for the rest.

Mr Hewitt recommends as a partial remedy that Government reduce employees to half-time to enable others to be taken on. I think this is a bad idea, as it would be doing what we are all striving against, namely, pauperising the whole to relieve the few. I say, let all men that have employment keep it by all means, and leb us do our be3b bo employ those thab require employment, so that we do not lower the better down to the lower, but raise the lower up to the better. In this way those that are in good situations can always give U3 a helping hand. Take aAvay half their employment and they Avill soon require helping themselves.—Yours, &.., Practical.