UNEMPLOYMENT

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 218, 11 June 1930, Page 13

UNEMPLOYMENT

Sir, —May I express an opinion on the burning question of unemployment? My scheme is this: The Government should be induced to grant a cheap building Joan with stipulations that before the prospective builder starts he must first demolish an old house and, overmore, all materials must be of New Zealand manufacture as far as possible. If. this were adopted it would benefit not only the building trade, but 'brighten up certain secondary industries. Also, it would tend to elean up our towns by ridding them of some of the unsightly hovels which are a menace to health. Another advantage would be that it would not favour over-building, and I am sure the loan would be well patronised.—l am, etc., GEORGE STARSMEARE. Timaru, June 7. , . Sir, —Every morning in your paper let; ters appear setting out remedies for unemployment, but when a person is a lowed to do a job as he likes and rush, off to do another one. perhaps in the. same way, it made me think that work, in his, particular line must be very brisk indeed. Some time ago a man called at my place with his ladder, brushes, and a couple *of tins of paint, saying he had come to paint the house, the trustees in the estate concerned having previously promised me they would have the job done. He was four days and a half on. the job. He did the front twice and the sides, back and roof once. Be wformedme he got £l6 for doing the job. I don’t suppose it took three gallons of paint at, say, 18/- a gallon, leaving him the balance as wages. The job, needless to say, is a> disgrace. I rang up the trustee and that gentleman told me he would come and look at the place. That was a month ago, and since then he has not been here. If a person is going to do this sort of thing and get away with it it is only, going to make the unemployment position a little bit harder.. This little job should have given employment .to two men for a week. This is 'only one instance of how things are done. I could name at least two others of nearly equal importance. . get the work and won’t do it—others who would do it and do the jobs properly cant ’ get them to do.-I ™ b *& INGMAN . Wellington. June 7.