OUTLOOK BETTER

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21257, 31 August 1934, Page 12

OUTLOOK BETTER

MORE MEN AT WORK ! STATEMENT BV MR COATES ; i From Our Parliamentary Reporter.! j : WELLINGTON, August 30. ■ j "The position of the unemployed ! gives them a much better outlook | than they could have last year," said the Minister for Finance, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, when replying in the Imprest Supply Bill debate, in the House of Representatives this evening, to various comments by members on the unemployment j problem. i Mr Coates said that the number of men registered as unemployed j showed a definite reduction com- i pared with last year, and the amount i of relief given under sustenance i grants was greater to-day than it \ | was a year ago. There had been an ! J increase in the public works vote j Ito £3,500,000. In addition, other I i Government proposals covered a! building programme running into \ some hundreds of thousands of > pounds. The balance of money at , I the end of this year was estimated: ;to be £400,000. Actually, then the 1 - ! financial position of the Unemploy- i ment Fund would be better, even t with the reduction of twopence in the wage tax. Mr Armstrong: It could be a lot better still. Mr Coates: It will be much better, j After all. we want to get men back i into their trades and normal occu- | I pat ions. These works that are to be j | put in hand by the Government of- ; fer an opportunity. While we are jable to borrow money at a reasonSable rate it is an economic proposition for the Government to carry j this proposed building programme-, : llirotiuls to completion. Actually, the position of relief workers is much .better than it has been for some i ■time. j Housing Schemes , i Continuing, the Minister said that j lit' the local bodies would undertake j j the preparation of plans for better' i housing in boroughs and cities, the j j Government would be prepared to! [associate itself with such work, pro- ! |vided practical, schemes could be | tevolved. j Mr Parry: How much money will ; you give? | Mr Coates: We have not limited I ourselves to any amount. The Government feels that building activity ' will probably be the best form of ! labour, because it affects nearly ! every other industry. Mr Parry: I have a big area in i my district which can be rebuilt. ! Mr Coates: I know of some < schemes in your district, and they 1 are being discussed with a view to I determining whether the local body concerned can carry out its part. Mr Parry: What is the total com- . pared with last year? Mr Coates: Slightly more than ; £ 1.000.000 in the Public Works Fund.