UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19622, 18 May 1929, Page 18

UNEMPLOYMENT.

AN INVERCARGILL DEPUTATION. THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION. STATEMENT BY PRIME MINIBTER. - (fbsss A»»o«tTio» TiueoaAM.) INVEIiCAEGILL, May 17. A deputation, consisting of the lf»yor 'Mr J. P. Campbell) and several members of tho Borough Council, waited upon the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) this morning to discuss with him matters in connexion with the . Valinf of unemployment locally. ' The Mayor asked tho Prime Minister . M ha could do anjthing to assist the; unemployed of Invercargill. He stated j that there were about 240 men registered as being out of employment at the present time. Tho Council experienced difficulty in finding suitable work for tho men, and it was also hampered by lack of funds. It was sup jested that the Government might undertake the construction nf a waterfront road along the estuary. Councillor T. O'Byrne suggested a found-table discussion, and said that tiey wanted the Prime Minister to give £20,000 to help Southland. In reply, Sir Joseph Ward said that hj« wanted to put tho position vary clearly before them, so that thev could understand what was underlying the policy of the Government with regard to unemployment relief. Thoy could not, even if they wanted to. put a concrete embankment along the estuary. Tho reserves had bc<jn set aside to be of use to tho borough, and if they were not going to fulfil that function within a year or two the Government could not expend money on them. That proposal would have to be eliminated. With regard to tho Bluff road, he wanted them to understand how matters lay. When they suggested expediting the widening of the Bluff road they suggeste<l a matter over which the Government had no control. So, in turn, the satno was to be said of the proposal that had been put forward to expend money up to £BO,OOO. The action suggested would have to be talwn by the ratepayers. It was obvious that it was not a matter that eon Id be handled by tho Government, which could not take up works spasmodically for the help of the unemployed, nor could he think there were •o many in en out of employment as they stated. Ho had made enquiries through tho proper channel before leaving Wellington, and had been told that tho number of men unemployed was 00. Now they swelled it to 400. The country could not come in and •baorb 400 men without there first being some work which was linked tip with the town of Invercargill. It Would be proper for tho Government to help the Borough Council by granting a £ for £ subsidy. The Government was perfectly prerared to do its part, said Bir Joseph, lit it had to be understood that tfc coul 1 n>t make work for the unompj< *«•(! \fi-u in permanent work were •xpecl 1 t> pub by for a rainy day, otli in thv Government would l«e «ll<d i { n to assist them in times of unutiial stress. During his period of office he bad authorised tho payment of more money for unemployment, relief than any other Government, but that did not "introduce the broad principle of the Government providing money to help men who wore out of work. Tho Government did not havo an unlimited purse find wheti he told them that it - sad gwfc to within £7OOO of the meiwsY available for unemployment relief throughout tho TK>mimon they would understand that it was impossible to accede to their request for a grant, of £20,000. If tho Borough Council had any work other than maintenance work tor tho unemployed tlw Government would bo prepared to Continuing, tho Prime Minister read • statement from the Public Works Jtapiirtmont, which was to the effect that 25 men could bo put on work Immediately. Tho work in question was road improvement on the Mossbum"Keya section of the Te 4nau main highway. Camps would havo to be erected, but thw would mean a delay of only a fortnight. Sir Joseph also promised to look round and Bee if there were any other such works. They were not to vtin away with the idea, however. that because Invercargill had a pinch of unemployment the Government had to find an avenue of work lor the men. Within the last month he had authorised the expenditure of large aunts for Auckland, Wellington, C'hmtohurch, and Dunedin. Those cities had to find the work. It was a fact that there were even people coming from Australia to swell the nnka of the unemployed in the Dominion. If the suggestions outlined were adopted for the wholo of the Dominion the Government would find it■alf in the position of being a labouremploying agency beyond its means. Tho Prime Minister added that there were over 10,000 more men employed since the present Government eame into office, and that showed that it; had been in earnest over the matter. The Government bad been asked t to provide for relief to last over Ohristtnas and it. had done so. Fmally, however, it had developed into a gen«r*l demand. ... Councillor Brodrick said that he could not understand the local unemployment position. Over £20,000 had been spent in the borough and yet unemployment seemed to bo becoming wore* than ever. TRe Prime Minister responded that looking at the position from a Dominion standpoint The oould understand it •von leas. The settlement of the whol© problem rested on tho capacity of the Government to find more land for tho people. He added that he was quite prepared to pat before the Highways Board any recommendation they might make, but the decision rested with the Board. Tho Mayor gave an assurance that the unemployment figures quoted by him had not been in any wav bolstered up, hut were as they had been given i to him.

IN CHRISTCHURCH. " - There w*re 31 registrations of unemployed yesterday. The total included the regittrations of 18 married men. One »aa found private etnplovaaent. Tfaa Heathoote County Council at present is omploying 70 men in addition to the normal permanent staJE of 18 Of the 70 men 44 are employed mn the work «t widening Dyer's Pasa rn*d from Victoria Park towards 4 'The Kiwi." The founty ia employing three leturned soldiers in the valley riding. The weekly of the county is