GOVERNMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 56, 29 November 1929, Page 6

GOVERNMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT

POSTPONEMENT POLICY “No attempt was made by the Government last session to effect a permanent solution of the unemployment problem,' said Mr. H. F. Johnston, Reform candidate for Hutt, in his speech at Petone last night. He predicted that as a result of the policy the Government had followed in providing palliatives only the question would be more difficult of. solution next year. Under pressure of a member threatening to leave the party, he said, the statement had been made in the House by the Prime Minister that the difficulty would be solved in five weeks. A committee was set up post haste to deal with it, but all that had been done was to extend the relief works to rather gigantic proportions. The bill to be footed for that would bo enormous, the money would be lost, and the problem would still remain unsolved. The position would be worse next winter unless some permanent solution were sought and found. The country would have to meet the situation next year, with the knowledge that hundreds of thousands of pounds had been spent from which the country would derive no benefit. The action of the Government had been merely to postpone the difficulty for a few months. There could be no question but that the solution of the unemployment problem depended upon increased trade prosperity; and the candidate proceeded to deal with the helpful and prosperous results which would come from the promotion of industry by goodwill and co-operation, as reported elsewhere.