DISTRESSED AREAS

Evening Star, Issue 19758, 7 January 1928, Page 9

DISTRESSED AREAS

TRANSFER OF WORKERS BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S SCHEME (British Official News.) Prat Association—By Wireless—Copyright lUIGBY, January 6. (Received January 7, at noon.) it is announced that the Minister of Labor has appointed an industrial transference board, consisting of Sir Warren Fisher, Sir John Cadman, and Sir David Shackleton, “to facilitate the transfer of workers, particularly miners, for whom opportunities of employment in their own district or occupation are no longer available."

In announcing recently in the House of Commons the decision of the Government to appoint such a commission, Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister (President of the Board of Trade) said the sole object would be to stimulate and assist the transfer of workers from distressed areas to openings in other areas and industries both at home and overseas. He said the Minister of Labor would define the distressed areas, and the commission would, through the machinery of the Labor Ministry, attempt to find jobs for the unemployed.

The distressed areas were not confined to coal, but the worst of them were in Durham and Northumberland (on the north-east coast) and in South Wales in the coal, iron, steel, and other heavy industries. When it was necessary the worker being transferred would be assisted financially with railway fares and moving expenses. Discussion would be necessary with the Overseas Settlement Committee. It was very likely that they would find in the future in a dominion like Canada, with great advancing prosperity, that the committee would have a very good chance of getting what might be seasonal or permanent employment for a man in Canada, Such a man might got a certainty of six months’ work, but he might not want to go out there unless ho wax sure that he would be permanent in his job. It was worth while considering in such circumstances whether be could not have the assurance that when seasonal employment came to an end he would be helped with a return passage.

Mr Crutchley, financial advisor to tho Overseas Settlement Committee, left London for Canada to-day to meet Mr Ainery (Secretary of State for the Dominions), who will shortly conclude his Empire tour with an important conference with the Canadian Government on the question of emigration. It is understood that a far-reaching scheme will form the basis of the negotiations between Mr Amery and the Canadian authorities.