REHABILITATING UNEMPLOYED

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21117, 19 March 1934, Page 12

REHABILITATING UNEMPLOYED

* DIFFICULT TASK FOR GOVERNMENT Ft IT KK KKDKTION OF KKI.IKF The magnitude of the task of reducing the amount of unemployment relief—one of the problems which the Government would have to face when economic conditions began to change--was emphasised by the deputy-chair-man of the Unemployment Board. Mr J S Jessep, m a statement to a deputation from the municipal conference. When industry began asam to absorb labour, and the nceu for rebel bean to decrease, it would not be an c-'i-v maUcr to contract the scope of relief m a proportionate degree, Mr Jessep sail!, ft was probably quite well known thai strenuous efforts would be made from some quarters to retain the present scale of relief---and consequentiv the present scale of taxation—without regard to whether it was or was not required in fact. Those interests would ignore the essential truth that relief must be measured by need alone. , , There wore many citizens to-daj who had been driven by sheer necessity to the acceptance of relief lrom the unemployment fund. It was these citizens whom the subversive influences already at work would seek linally to convince that it was proper for them to relv permanently on their neighbour's purses for support. And it was these citizens who. m their own interests and in the interests of the Slate, must be encouraged to take pride' once more in shifting for themselves as soon as they have the opportunity.

"The duty t ,f encouraging the deserving unemployed citizens to rehabilitate themselves in norma! employment as opportunity offers is more than an impersonal bureaucratie responsibility of the Unemployment Board." sa'id Mr .lesscp. "It is the eivie and tu i.ghbeitrly duty of local public men." MtNKiTAL ("ONKKKKNCE fnk.mpi.oymknt mattkks Cr. J. W. Rcanland and the Town Clerk iMr .1. S. Neville', who w«c Iwo of the Christchurch City Council's delegates to the conference of the New Zealand Municipal Association in Wellington last week, returned to Christchurch on Saturday morning. Cr. Beanland, in a brief interview,

said (hat a fu'l report of the conference was being prepared for submission to the City Council and, consequently, he was not in a position to go into details. The majority of Ihe remits had been dealt with. One or two of the remits dealing with unemployment, afier having been adopted by Ihe conference, were the subject of a deputation to the Prime Minister, in the absence of the Minister for Employment 'the Hon. Adam Hamilton', who is indisposed. Some members of the Unemployment Board were present al the interview. One of the matters discussed was Ihe different allocation in different districts in the nonunion, more particulnrlv in the North Island.