CANADA'S TROUBLES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 71, 25 March 1933, Page 13

CANADA'S TROUBLES

MANY OUT iW WORK

COST OF "RELIEF

The seriousnes of thef •. Canadian unemployment situation .is wi Tessed in a letter from Hew Zealand's1 Trade Commissioner there (M.i. .J; W. <i Collins) to the New Zealand Unemploya ent Board.

[ The records, of men ai id women un- | employed are not .kept as; accurately as in New Zealand, says ttoq writer, the •actual numbers being a matter of esti[ination, but 800,000 has becm mentioned |as the figure for tho whole:of Canada.

In January last, Canada's depth of winter, the index of xaii unf acturing workers, employed had falTOn from 100 in 1926 to 84.1. It was shown that in twelve municipalities in Ontario, with a combined population of ~.1,l 142,000 persons, 150,000 were drawing relief last wiuter and spring. Last winter Toronto, witL. 631,207 of population, had 50,000 unemployed. , Moroti 'eal, with 813^77 of population, had 2^,«n00 peoplo on relief at the middle of lasi; summer. Other provinces were similarly affected. In Saskatchewan drought o onditions had reduced tho wheat i armiw 3 to penury, and 60,000 of them, tota'Uiig, with dependants, 300,000, were warwlis of the State. . ' ' ' f ■

~WMIe standing firmly, on this* constitutional ground that uneinploy n lent relief is primarily a matter for fcii»e municipality, secondly for the. province, and lastly for the Dominion, the 37ederal authorities established a systems of relief. Bills were enacted in the -■/ Cana•dian Parliaments providing for j assistance, by tie Dominion to the pvd. vinee. Under the Act passed last yea,r tEj c Dominion Government contributed ' onethird of the amount spent for itlireet .relief. Direct relief means the nvovision of food, fuel, and clothing foi ; " the •unemployed. In addition to thaty the Dominion paid SO per cent! of tlift , cost of direct relief in sections of C?m ada ■which are unorganised and lack anranicipal government. "Under the system the provinces uontribute another -ifch ird of the amount required and the muaaUcipalities the remainder of the total a, urn necessaiy to moot the situation in Ulieir particular locality. "The cost of relief is enormous, ai id from all sides there is an insistent ca U for some better method. Tire Dominia v Government alone advanced 174,000,0CH 0 dollars to the provinces in the first li '■■ months .after relief measures became imperative. This lmge expenditure, it is.claimed, cannot be continues, but. with the threat of curtailment, tho pro-,j blein appears to grow even more acute 1 and no -ready plan of replacement is 1 available." ' ' f

A system of contributory iinom,ployment insuranco is considered impracticable while the depression lasts. Under the supervision of the .Department of Colonisation, .farms are found for families now living in .urban centres who desire rural employment. This scheme is working well, despite initial difficulties, and over 5000 families have been found positions where they can at least make a living. "The seriousness of the unemployment position in Canada conclusively indicates that New Zealanders who may contemplate visiting Canada to secure -work B houia know the facts and the futility of taking such a step," writes Mt. Collins, "itfany New Zealanders who came to Canada during the last three years have not vet succeeded in obtaining employment, a"nd at the present time several young men and women find it impossible even -to main-tain themselves. New Zealand school teachers, accountants, ■cabinetmakers, carpents, electricians, musicians, shop' assistants, nurses, and othors have -tried in vain to secure steady employment, ana -are having a very difficult time. The New Zealand Government offices established here have proved a boon as a common meeting-ground, ami, wherever possible, help has been afforded. The New Zealanaws generally have been of a very independent, intelligent type, and have shown great courage and initiative in facing conditions as they exists , . ■ ■ . ■ '-_