UNEMPLOYMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 19774, 26 January 1928, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT.

TO THE E DITCH. Sir, —I wish to criticise a few remarks made by the town clerk wdiich appeared in last evening’s issue of the 1 Star,’ and which were made during the course of an interesting discussion on unemployment, its causes, and its future solution by the Conciliation Council. Mr Lewin declared that the men on the High street work were not laborers, and were not worth 5s a day. I consider that if Mr Lewin was put out witii a pick and shovel on the same road to-morrow he would not be worth half a crown a day, let alone the salary which ho is drawing at present. If those earning over £4OO a year who are always ready to criticise others’ work were taxed, there would he plenty of nmnev to give employment to the nncmployed.—l am, etc., Worker. January 25.

TO THIS EDITOR. Sir, In your report of the proceedings of the Conciliation Council’s sitting dealing with the local body laborers’ award, the town clerk of Dunedin makes some statements which call for a challenge. He states, firstly, tliat Dunedin did not receive value for the expenditure on unemployed relief works last year, and that they had laborers who were not laborers, but storemen and all classes. In the first place, a large proportion of the money expended was subscribed by the citizens, and,was therefore not part of the city’s treasury, although the city reaps the benefit of the works accomplished. If they did not receive value for the money expended, whose fault was that? Considering that a large amount of the work was done under the direction of the corporation’s officials, and for the meagre dole of 9s, wo _ are left to assume that the men were cither incompetent or else loafed on the job. If the mon were incompetent, and not worth 5s per day, then that shows on the admissio'n of the town clerk that the work of a laborer is wrongly classified; Ho should be classed as a siraiskillod worker, and paid accordingly; nob, as at present, an unskilled If, on the other hand, the men loafed on the work, then, as a casual observer of the works under question, I have failed to see or hoar of any of the “ storemen and all classes ” being sacked for that reason. The statement reads like a slur on the unfortunate men who were glad enough to do anything to help keep _ their homes together. If the council did not get the value for the money expended, it is time it reviewed the capabilities of its high salaried servants. The town clerk goes on to say that Dunedin is not the wealthiest city, and could not afford to give work to the unemployed. On what grounds does he make such an assertion? I venture to say that if a census were taken of the relative wealth _ of each city, pro rata of the respective populations, ho may bo led to correct the statement. But whether or not, how does this excuse Dunedin helping its quota of the unemployed? So long as help can he administered —wisely, of course—to those citizens who find themselves unemployed through no fault of their own, It becomes the duty of the council, as the representatives of the people, to take a lead in promoting schemes to raise the money to provide work for that purpose. If the council does not relish being harassed with the unemployment problem, neither do the unemployed, nor the subscribers, and as the local lenders and advocates of the people, the council should continually protest against the action _of the Government in repeatedly bringing immigrants into the country when our own people are virtually starving. As to the council reducing its staffs through shortage of money, this is an annual affair, and March 31 is anxiously looked forward to by the unfortunate men who are dropped. This again reflects on the capabilities of the council’s officers, who apparently can only make each year’s allocations spread over from eight to ton months. The whole trouble is that the money is eaten up by too many high salaried and inefficient officials. More could he said, but I leave it with the council to review more closely whether it is getting value for the money expended on its higher salaried servants, or whether tlfe under workers are carrying them along and smothering up their blunders. I have nothing in common with Mr Harrison, but he places the position accurately when he hays “ they never grumble 'about wealth as long as the wealthy gets it.” It seems that the rich are to get richer and the poor to get poorer. In conclusion, I feel sure that the unemployed have been grateful for what assistance was granted by the council with the means at its disposal, but I hope that the town clerk’s statements do not represent the opinions of the council or of the Unemployment Belief Committee (disbanded).' —I am, etc., 'Aoieahoa. January 25.