HOTLY ATTACKED

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 68, 13 December 1933, Page 10

HOTLY ATTACKED

Wellington Statement BOY UNEMPLOYMENT Comment in Christchurch "I think almost all the sentiments expressed are beneath contempt and not worthy of discussion. I am shocked to think that a body of intelligent people such, as a chamber of commerce is supposed to consist of should be capable of such a declaration in the twentieth century.” In these words Professor J. Shelley gave his opinion to the Christchurch "Press” on a section of the comment drawn up hy a committee of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on a report regarding youth unemployment presented to them recently. The particular paragraph referred to was:— “It was a matter for consideration whether the view should not be definitely placed before boys that the unskilled labourer was not entitled; either under a natural law or under the principles of justice, to the luxuries of life, but to little more than the .barest necessities; that comfort, ease, and luxury of life should be regarded as the reward of skill or special industry—not as a right. All the amenities of life which people possessed over the bare and precarious existence which the untutored and undisciplined savage scraped from an unwilling earth . were the product of special skill and Industry on the part of individuals of ' past and present generations, and should not be regarded as an inheritance to be enjoyed free by the unworthy. It was often publicly suggested that because the earth was capable of providing plenty and' luxury for all, the State should distribute plenty and luxury for all. In the opinion of the committee, unless ,in their social and industrial state, sharp distinction was made between the worthy and the unworthy, as was done by the natural laws if left to work their purposes unhindered by man, grave evils must eventually result to the whole community.” “Past Understanding.” * With .the increasing difficulty In differentiating between skilled and unskilled labour, the question opened up more scope for comment than would the sole suggestion that so-called unskilled labourers were not entitled to more than the bare necessities of life, said a prominent educationist. Many men trained in universities and in business had been forced into relief works, and had found labour there far from being unskilled. A whole book could be written on the subject, he declared, and It was incomprehensible that an opinion such as this should be put forward by a responsible body of men. It was a matter for controversy and for denial that the expenditure of physical energy by so-called unskilled labourers meant that these persons should be relegated to a position of “unworthiness.” “What does the chamber mean by ‘unworthiness’?” asked Dr. C. E. Beeby. “To those who endeavour to look beyond the actual words of the comment and attempt to find their real meaning, . the paragraph is almost past understanding. “What, after all, does the chamber mean when it uses the terms ‘natural law’ and ‘justice’? The whole of civilisation is a record of the means by which what they call ‘natural laws’ has been overcome. That is what we mean by civilisation. Principles of justice have nothing to do with principles of moral right, and if certain people are to be considered unwffithy of more than the bare means of subsistence, why permit them to exist at all? It hardly seems that the meaning of the comment is . understood even by those who wrote it,” he concluded. Varying Circumstances. Mr. J. W. Beanland said that he could not bring himself to go so far as the chamber seemed to have gone. “I would not say that boys going into Skilled trades should be entitled to better treatment than others, for there is the question of varying circumstances to be considered. There . are ' very, very many fine men in unskilled work for the simple reason that, they have not had any other opportunity," he said. "I would be inclined to say that boys who deny themselves so that they should make progress should reap the benefit in the future. On the other hand; where men find themselves without work they must be prepared to live within limited means. The whole question hinges on the matter of varied circumstances in different conditions.” " - ■ ■

A leading Christchurch draper expressed the opinion that if the world had erred a.t- all in the past it had given the man in physical occupations too little. The trend ‘now in New Zealand was for the unskilled man to get more than the skilled artisan, which was equally wrong. The suggestion put forward, however, appeared absolutely stupid, he said. A man had to be brought up to' every job he didi “As a member of the Chamber of Commerce, I think the statement is open to ridicule,” he contended.