UNEMPLOYMENT

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 193, 17 May 1928, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT

REGUL ARIS ATI ON PROCESS

SPECIAL COMMITTEE PROPOSAL

UNANIMOUS REPORT ADOPTED

Proposals for regularising unemployment were unanimously adopted by the National industrial Conference yesterday. These included collection and compilation ol accurate data, and tlie establishment of a committee representative oi the Government, the employers, mid the workers, with useful functions. Important suggestions were also made in connection witli the provision of openings for boys in farming occupations.

The recommendations were incorporated in the report of the special submittee of the conference, and represented a unanimous finding. The full text of tlie section on unemployment follows: "1. We are agreed that at present the problem of unemployment in the. Dominion is acute, and'it is our opinion that the Government must provide out of the Consolidated Fund such sums as are necessary to cope with the situation. “2. Exact information is not available to enable us to formulate a permanent scheme to deal with the repurrent problem of seasonal and periodic unemployment. We therefore recommend that the Government Statistical Department should forthwith concentrate upon the collection and compilation of accurate data, with the object of determining, as far as possible : — (i) The causes and the volume of periodic and seasonal unemployment ; and (ii) The possibility of organising the Dominion labour demand so as to minimise the effect of seasonal conditions on the regularity of employment. . “3. Careful investigation should also be made to decide the most suitable form of productive work under State control which could absorb from time to tune labour temporarily not required in industry. „„. . .. “4 For the purpose of this investigation, and to assist in the administration of temporary measures, we recommend the Government to appoint immediately a committee of three, consisting of a Government representative and one representative each of employers and workers. “5. The functions of this committee should be: — (a) To analyse and consider the detailed statistical data as to the supply of, and demand for, employment. in the various industries throughout the year.” . . (b) To conduct special inquiries as to the incidence and causation of unemployment in the various industries : . , . , (c) To co-operate with private employers, Government Departments, and local authorities in an endeavour to provide avenues of employment, and to regulate the demand for labour in connection with temporary measures taken by the Government.. (d) To co-operate with the Immigration Department, with respect to the employment of immigrants; and (e) To regularly furnish detailed information as to the trend of employment. “This sub-coinmiltee urges the Government to shape the education system in the direction of encouraging . as many boys as possible to take up farming occupations .rather, than professional and commercial, vocations; this to apply to city, town, and country schools. The sub-com-mittee is of the opinion that under the present system there are. not sufficient openings for boys educated in cities and towns, and that farming presents an almost unlimited scope for their employment,, while positions in tlie town industries are limited.” The workers’ representatives on the sub-committee added the following addendum: —“That the committee referred to should consist of five members instead of three (one Government representative and two representatives each of employers and workers, and that a scheme of unemployment insurance .should be instituted.”' DELEGATE’S VIEWS In moving that the recommendations be adopted, Mr. O. Mcßrine contended that the pronouncement contained in the report would carry the greatest possible weight. The findings bad been come to after exhaustive discussion, and the taking of evidence from those closely associated with the problem. As the problem was a national one, it was considered that relief for the present, position should come out of the national income. The report anticipated the possibility of engaging unemployed workers on productive work, not the digging of a hole and filling it up again, which was a moral as well as an economic waste. In connec-

tion with the proposed appointment of a committee of three to investigate the position, the workers had advocated a personnel of five, on the ground that no one representative from each interest could have the knowledge and information required. “Prevention Better Than Cure." Seconding the motion, Mr. H. 11. Sterling said it was early realised in the discussions that prevention was better than cure, rind that temporary palliatives were not wanted. In order that sound judgments could be formed if was necessary that a careful collation of the facts should be undertaken, and the report had therefore recommended the line of action set out. The employers’ representatives considered that the functions of the' proposed committee could be effectively carried out by three men. It was considered also that the proposal of .the workers representatives for the establishment of an unemployment insurance scheme was too great an anticipation of the findings of the committee to be set up. Settling the Land. Mr. A. Morten considered the solution of the problem lay in the sub-committee’s proposals for the encouragement ol boys to take up farming, rather than professional and commercial occupations. At present the Government was doing a good deal in the way of agricultural education ; and a great service would be performed if practical effect were given the proposal outlined. The Insurance Scheme. Regret was expressed by Mr. F. Cornwell that the committee had not gone fully into the question of unemployment insurance. IVhen the proposal was advocated some time ago workers had shown their sincerity by offering to contribute one-third towards the maintenance of the fund. .... Mr. A.,Cook said the question of unemployment insurance was given every consideration by the committee, but unfortunately the employers representatives could not sec their way at that stage to unite with the - workers’ representatives in recommending to the Government to establish such a scheme. If after the fullest information had been analysed by the committee it was proposed should be appointed, such a recommendation were made, he did not think there would be any objection from the employers representatives. The type of unemployment insurance he favoured was the system that prevented unemployment. If provision were made for a winter ahead there should be little trouble at all. The Government would be well advised to leave the matter no longer m abeyance, but to carefully consider some useful compulsory insurance scheme next sesEl °Aiso supporting the proposal to find useful employment for the young men of New Zealand, Mr. R. Semple considered that if the Government took up the matter a blessing would be conferred on the Ua M°°’j. Purtell said that, if the twentyfive representatives on the employers side were placed in the position to-day ol having to find a job they would be unanimous in their belief that a scheme ot unemployment insurance was necessary. He appealed for a reconsideration ol the decision before conference concluded. Mr. F. R. Cooke said that as regarded unemployment all had to take the stand that, “We are our brothers keeper, and get to work to solve the problem. “On the Other Side.” . Mr. J. Tucker said the committee bad made a fair attempt to meet. the present situation and had made a definite step towards the desired goal. Some felt, like himself, that it should have , gone further, but in this life it was not possible to have ail one wished. Perhaps in the other world the heart's desire could be obtain!d. A member: J here would be no winters there for you. (Laughter.) Mr. Tucker welcomed- the moye to have the problem thoroughly analysed and definite statistics collectedto enable them to know where they wero going. In the opinion of Mr. G. Finn the resolution contained all that was necessary for conference to adopt. The country had to look to the land to provide work for those requiring it. At present only the surface of the development ct the country had been scratched, and when intensive development was undertaken the production obtained would be surprising. , . „ Mr. J. Roberts said bis chief concern was that the unemployment problem would receive from the Government the sympathetic consideration it deserved, lie trusted the Government would give effect to the committee’s recommendations. He considered that even if. unemplovment were seasonal, provision shoukt be made ahead to meet it. The Freezing Industry. Mr. 11. C. Revell said that the freezing industry required an army of 7000 men to handle the 9,000,000 odd carcasses required for export. Those men had to be gleaned from somewhere—from the ranks of the casual employed. The wage of the average slaughterman who worked 27 weeks was £5 os. 2d. For the same period the wages for the assistants were £3 17s. (id. The workers had intimated their willingness to contribute from that meagre wage an amount towards the fund which would help to tide them over the period during which there was no work. Mr. H. 8. E. Turner said the farmers and employers in the freezing industry realised that the seasonal nature of the work was one of the most radical problems associated with unemployment. A fair proportion of the men m the freezing industry were engaged also in other seasonal occupations, such as shearing and harvesting. He_did not, want it to be thought that 27 weeks work a year represented the work of the average" worker in the freezing iudus- * National Provident Fund.

Mr. J. Fisher believed that under New Zealand's own legislation we had _ the most, beneficial provisions that existed in any country. He referred to the National Provident Fund, and probably the legislation could be amended to bring about what the representatives of the workers and others were so anxious to attain. Even in countries where straight-out unemployment schemes were in operation unemployment still existed. He advocated investigation of the National Provident Fund as a probable solution of unemployment insurance. Mr. A. Black suggested that in con-

nection with the collection of data, the registration of the unemployed should be made compulsory. Mr. J. S. Jessep said that it was common sense to concentrate on the one great industry which, if it were flourishing, meant employment for all. To-day the primary industries were the least attractive for investment, and that was an evil that should be removed. Mr. C. Baldwin said no dole was wanted. They wanted the money to be paid out for work that was productive. If an insurance fund were established, possibly funds would be available for the development of arable lands at present not settled. Mr. J. Churchhouse believed that if the recommendation were carried out by the Government the conference would have got somewhere. . Replying to the debate. Mr. Mcßrine said he thought New Zealand was passing through-—not into —a wave of depression, and that we would be quite right to assume that the present unemployment position was periodic aud not chronic. . , , , The recommendations were adopted unanimously.