UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18921, 9 February 1927, Page 11

UNEMPLOYMENT.

TO TBI IDtTOI Off THff nISJ. SU,—I notice the Mayor, in conference with others over the above problem, advocates "tackling it manfully" and without allusion to its political aspect. Well, Sir, as to cause, here's the trouble: trying to sell something (a day's labour) at a price beyond what everyone knows in his heart it is worth. We can tinker or side step as we like, but the pressure of elementary economic facts, as they present themselves to us to-day, must be met'by something better than the suggestions made by some of the best-hearted and bcst-intcntioii-ed men in Christcburch, and far be it from mo to attempt to belittle their work in solving this most difficult and trying problem. The remedy is obvious enough: lower wages, or more work for tin same pay. But it's so darned unpleasant, that no one in the limelight seems to care about risking his or her reputation in advocating it, and by wages I mean, too, salaries, prices, and charges of all kinds, which have to conic back to a l>:isis more in accord with the lower level of prices now being established for our primary products—the basis of the bulk of our wealth in New Zealand.

The primary producer, whether he sells his labour in form of wool, po:atoes, meat, butter, or a load of cauliflowers, knows well that despite cost of living standards, n la Arbitration Court, it doesn't measure back 14s for an eight-hour day. Or £1 to "Jos for the more skilled part of the labour involved in it. About half is nearer the mark. So the rate established under the unsheltered conditions of the market where lie sells this labour of his cannot buy back much of the labour of the other chap "'ho, by rigging it with artificial conditions, only offers four hours for ohdit of the farmer's —hence unemployment. "Tackle it manfully!" What did Henry Ford do in that 1921 epic of his. when he found under altered market conditions he conldn't exchange his ••labour" for the other chap's? He imliediately cut the price down to where Hie otlier chap started to tumble over himself S'S^' 11 *° 8' v ° his hibour (or result thereof) to get Henry Ford's. And with the enormous fields for profitable development and employment of labour awaiting us in New Zealand, if we don't do the obvious and tackle this problem manfully, many of us 3rc going 11 do a starve —river-bank improve-

[mcnt. triT-i>l:iiitiii|:. rcsirh-tioii ci immigration, etc., notwithstanding. . One of the first thing? to do '* '" ye up off the chest of the man on ' ,K ' ]: "" with our tirtificial r:itcs of uri>-c- ami wages—cliokin;; out ltis very sini.-riiso. Here. .Sir, :ire some figures shining through a little light on the position. and from the Government Matistieuiu .—Assessable in.-oino from salary. wages, eommerer, trade, or business—uver • >-1 million for that little lot: man on me land, bulking i'airlv large in the I'"}' 11 ' lation—tola! assessable im-onie X.-'*--IS7. I'm otilv a small farmer, ai'l can still |.av L'l's'in the ~..1111-!. tlio.iL'h '» * mainlv'to mvself at (.resent. but the remed'v is elear. What's going '" ''<■' • lone about it ? Are we going to ••tac.vlc it inanfullv"?—Yours, etc. tf.MAI.K VAUMI-.b.