UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18970, 7 April 1927, Page 11

UNEMPLOYMENT.

COMPARATIVE FIGURES. AUCKLAND'S POSITION EXPLAINED. ' . Dlsc «ssing unemployment in a survev ot business conditions, the "Auckland Chamber of Commerce Journal" for the current month .gives some interesting hgures, and explains the causes of the larger number of unemployed in Auckland. The article states:— . The number of unemployed remaining on the books of the Laoour Department at any one date doe 6 not represent the full' number-of unemployed. Registration at the-bureaux is-entireiy optional and only a 'percentage-of the unemployed tegister there. • figures compiled by the' Government Statistician irom.data supplied by the trade unions, show that approximately 10.7 per cent, of the unionists in the Northern Industrial District and 9.4 per cent, of the unionists throughout the Dominion generally were unemployed on account of the scarcity of work for more than threo days during, the mid-week of February, 1927. The corresponding figures for February, 1926, .were 8.8 per cent, and 5.0 per cent, respectively. In mid-February, 1927, .582. names remained on the unemployment .register at Auckland, as compared with 2-14 in Wellington, 285 in Christchurch, 193 in Dunedin, and 197 in other centres, making a Dominion total of 1501. The registers are- purged . regularly and these figures represent only active registrations'. ' • ' ■ The higher figures, for Auckland may be ascribed to : . .(1) Its greater population. This factor, however,.,faib to account for anything, like the full difference.'. . (2) The fact that most overseas vessels call at northern ports: so that immigrants with no-set work to go to naturally apply-to the Bureaux in that Island. (3) The more rapid recent' development of the north,; encouraging southerners out of work to migrate northwards; in search of a job. ; (4) The larger .proportion- of new undertakings in the-neighbourhood of Auckland (due. to .the,more rapid recent development in that .province),' which from their very newness have less stability and fewer reserves'for'withstanding adverse conditions. (5) The recent declines in export prices have been, broadly speaking, most marked amongst kauri : giim and butter; and the entire Dominion export of the former commodity and the bulk' of, the' Dominion export of the latter come from this district, Consequently the slump, has' hit "Auckland more severely than most other ; parts of the Dominion. Auckland Provincial District also produces nearly one-halt of the total Dominion output '.of sawn timber:-'and this'is another : industry which, for. rariousi reasons, has been passinp through difficult times. The amount of faith placed in the Government, bureaux probably also differs sotnewhat from place;to place. -

THE WORKLESS. THE RIVAL FACTIONS. ".-'.'■ . The first contingent of-men selected from the unemployed, '. numbering. 15, Was- dispatched to. the ■ mad w.orks in the HawSrden district. It is probable that a se'eoffid contingent will be sent 'next week.' :".'.' The registrations .'. at the Labour .Department, yesterday totalled. 'IS,- of : Sk-hom ten, were single men."\ Employment vyas found.'for quo man. : t . No: "Joyous.'Reunion,'.'. "I want it understood," said Mr E. L. Hills, leader of- the unemployed, at yesterday's meeting in Victoria square, //that no' 'joyous reunion' has occurred between Mr- S. Fournier'a supporters and those who support me."', ,Tne speaker added that the inclusion of Messrs Fqumier and Dunkley in 'the deputation. to wait on the. Trades Ha 11... officials, was ■ detrimental to the whole of the unemployed. If'Mr Fournier believed in his' policy of the Igreatest good of the greatest number, then he would recognise that the best thing for the unemployed Was his (Mr Fournier's) withdrawal from the movement. He.alleged that Messrs Pournier and'Dunkley were stopping the monetary, support' that the unemployed would receive if'they took a leas active part.' To .-his '■ statement' . that ■ the leaders of- : -the minority section of -the unemployed ; we.ra.not wanted near the Trades 'Hall, Mr; Dunkley interjected: '' i: That^ : a'-lie; that's-;,a lie I''. '. . i "-■ 'Mr Hills'- said'.;that.'■ ■ the secretaries would take notice of. the -wishes. of the majority,'-and, not -of. the minority. He 'announced tha\t a- concert in aid of ;tlie unemployed had been arranged for Sunday night r; ;the money raised to ,go :to the riverbank improvement fund.' ; 'Votes' of -thanks /were accorded.Messrs 0; Bennett;and. ; :H. Waters -for their assistance in making, the arrangements. • Mr "R. M.' MacFarlane. sjp'oke at some length, on the need, for co-operation between the unemployed and organised labour.-: ■ .. i ; Mr- S.-Foumier. also addressed the I meeting, •. and called in . question the | right of Messrs Hills and .Hutchinson [ to represent the genuine unemployed.

GOVERNMENT SYMPATHETIC. ;-"!| MEN MUST "GET AT IT." ' [THE PEBSS Special Berries.] ' WELLINGTON, April ; 6. r In the course of his reply to a deputation to the Government to-day, which drew attention to the depression in the timber industry,, and ■ urged the imposition of higher duties- on. imported timber, tho Prime Minister referred to a remark which had been made by Mr F. Turley, secretary of the Timber Workers' Association, to the effect that 9s and 12s .a day was fair pay»for unemployed workers engaged on works arranged temporarily to meet their needs. ' Mr Coa-tes gave an absolute denial to the suggestion that he was concerned in the cutting down, of wages. The policy of the Government was to maintain the standard .of living, and there was only one way of doing that, and that was bv increasing the output per unit. While we. were up against difficulties it was; matter for everybody to "get at if" for all they were worth. It was necessary, in the present circumstances, for everyone to give a better return if they could do. so. He did not say that could be done in every case, but where possible it was important that a better, return should be got in order to meet the present competition. !" ■' '_ Mr H. E. Holland, M<P.: Do you sug-gest-that 12s a day-can keep a married man and his family? Mr Coate*s: I suggest "that .a man Tvho is unemployed is very much better off with 12s a day .than he would' be with none. . We are doing all we can to meet- the .position.-