THE PRESENT UNREST

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 142, 20 June 1927, Page 8

THE PRESENT UNREST

HOUSING, IMMIGRATION, AND

UNEMPLOYMENT

(To the Editor.) Sir, —It must be obvious to the meanest intelligence that the housing, immigration, and unemployment questions are so interrelated that they are in many respects inseparable from many points of view. We had the housing problem -with us before immigration ■ assumed the importance which it docs to-day. The powers that be were urged to give relief on the merits of the case as it then stood, which it proceeded to do. Then ■ immigration commenced, and the provision tnat was supposed to be made for the benefit of those who were already here and in need.of homes was swamped by the number of immigrants who were continually arriving, so that at the present moment it cannot.be said that the housing question has been given any material relief, except in perhaps a few minor districts. The number of immigrants arriving during the last seven years have been quite sufficient to absorb all the additional accommodation provided, and the relief that was wanted seven years ago is as badly wanted to-day as; it was then. ..

Shortly after the Armistice, and as the men were being demobilised, we had a certain amount of unemployment with us, and it has never left us. From the day of the Armistice the returned men have found difficulty in getting back into their old employment, or even getting any regular employment at all. ; Oa top of this they, as well as many other workers, have found that they have had to fight for their job against immigrants that the country has not work for. To:day we have at least in this Dominion hot less than ten thousand unemployed, and .nobody seems to know what to do with, them nor what is to be done for them.. Unless a very different national policy is to be found for the future than has-been in .vogue in the past, this unemployment.problem is goin^ to take years to get away.from, without considering the question of future immigration; for which I understand the-Gov-ernment is anticipating will be at the rate of something, over 20,000 for the year. What is to become of them? Who is to support them? Where ; will they be housed? ' ";■_ ■ .-■..'

It is put forward as theory, but it is not a fact, that this immigration policy is adopted,with-a view: to : helping England. But so far" England does not' understand the root of her own troubles. How, then, can we be supposed to understand it, and how can we hope to help solve a problem which we ourselves do not understand? Consequently when we are told that this immigration is to help England weinay take that as being so much eye-wash. ■

One of the.most valuable institutions in this Dominion is undoubtedly the State Advances Department. It was inaugurated and equipped as a body that was intended to function, not for a day,.not for s'v«-i r , not spasmodically, but as an every-day, all-the-yeai-romui business i^.i^

in this inspect it has so fi:r.e:ionr v greater ipart of its existence. But this year it has adopted the go-slow policy, at least in. part, masmucu as tne . owiinmcnts since the end of the last financial year so far as housing is concerned has been nearly nil, if. we except the Hutt Valley scheme, and those applicants who have been waiting long and are waiting still for loans for other than the Hutt Valley, are beginning to think their case is hopeless. However, I hope that the Department or the Minister will tell us how many loans were granted in April and May last for Wellington and . suburbs other than those under the Hutt Valley housing scheme.

There are those who consider that the Hutt Valley scheme is responsible for the delay that is attending their applications. It is quite true that the Hutt Valley scheme is helping on the housing question on certain stereotyped lines, but only on those lines. Persons taking those houses nave the choice of certain plans, but they are not able to put their own expression into their homes as they can when they are dealing with their-own sections, and it is not everybody that wants to be moulded upon the State pattern, even in housing. Further, the man who owns a section finds that his chance of getting a loan for building is overshadowed by the Hutt Valley scheme. •

The Minister says that the State Advances is doiug all that it can unless money provided out of loan, and if he borrows'for that purpose people 'will be crying out about their borrowing so much Well, people will always cry out against something, and if the Government is going -to cease functioning in any Department where the public are squealing, then it will, not be long before they cease to function at all. But it is welt known that there has long been an outcry about immigration, but it has not stopped it, \mless just temporarily, and it will go on again in spite of public protests. .. .. Now, Sir,.to the crux of the argument: me State Advances is a self-supporting business, it pays its way, and costs the public nothing, no matter how much it borrows; instead of being a burden, it is a national boon. It not only helps people over, the housing difficulty, it increases the turnover of commerce and industry generally, and helps considerably to reduce unemployment. ' There are, and have been for months past, numerous contracts arranged for the building of houses in various parts of the city and suburbs. There are plenty of men available, both able and willing to do the work. All that is needed is that the State Advances Office should be speeded tip, and the results would mean considerably less unemployed, greater commercial turnover, and a removal at least of some of the prevailing industrial unrest. °

One point more: Can we afford this unemployment? Can we afford this housing difficulty? Can we afford this industrial unrest? Somebody has got to pay for this, someone is going to pay for this, and I venture to assert that if ever the Government loses a "seat" it will be due more to the questions herein discussed than to any other question.—l am, etc.. ' W. MADDISON 19th June.