UNEMPLOYMENT

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 123, 26 May 1928, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE GOVERNMENT'S- EFFORTS "In reading the statements of certain speakers at the Trades HalJ yesterday," said the Prime Minister (the Eight Hon. J. G. Coates), iii a statement issued last evening, " the public might be led to believe that the speakers alone were concerned with the present unemployment situation, and that the Government were doing nothing whatever to cope with it. They fail to appreciate what has been done in this connection." , Mr. Coates proceeded to' detail what the Government had done to afford relief to the unemployed. Ho made his review as follows: — 1. During the last financial year approximately 6200 men were sent to Gov: eminent relief works throughout the Dominion, and over 3000 men left these works of their own accord. 2. The Local Bodies Empowering Aut. under which local bodies could raiseloans for" relief of unemployment was extended for another year last session, and, in addition, legislative authority for the payment of subsidies to local bodies for works undertaken for the relief of unemployment was given by Parliament. The total payments were limited by the Imprest Supply Act (No. 1) to £150,000. Subsidies totalling £113,000 were approved during J^he year, and the payments actually made to 31st March last amounted to £75,----100. 3. The total expenditure by the Government ou relief works last year, including the £75,106, paid in subsidies to local bodies was £472,671. 4. During the period of seven weeks from Ist April of this year up to 19th May, 1200 men have been sent to Government relief works, which are,being undertaken by the Public Works and Forestry Departments. Of this number 400 men left the works of theit own accord. 5. There are 2750 men on Government relief works at the present time, and arrangements are in train for placing approximately 1000 additional men, as soon as camps can be erected and works laid out—probably within a fort night's time. . / 6. Approximately 11,000 men are being employed by the Public Works Department to date. In addition to this we have to remember that the public works programme lias been pressed on at a high rate of speed—at a pace faster than would have bean normally required—and that about 10,000 men are being absorbed, whereas, under ordinary circumstances, the number employed would be between 0000 ' and 8000. ' . . LOCAL BODY SUBSIDIES. "With regard to the question of v subsidy to1 local bodies for unemploy ment works," said the Prime Minister. "Cabinet decided to re-enact the pro visions to.subsidise- local authority un employment loans, and this fact ,was definitely announced by my colleague, the Hon. Mr. Wright, when he received a deputation concerning unemployment recently. "I have been in communication with tho Mayor of Wellington regarding a variation of the subsidy paid to locai bodies, but no decision has been arrived at yet. '' In the meantime, however, the same provisions which applied up to 31st March last are being continued, and a public statement to this effect has already been made. "Also to be taken into account is the recent decision of the. Government -to undertake a statistical review in. order to ascertain the ages, responsibilities, and qualifications of the men, with a view to launching a. scheme designed to prevent men getting out of employment, and, where they are unemployed, to absorbing them in our various industries."