The Evening Star SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1928. OPENINGS IN LIFE.

Evening Star, Issue 19894, 16 June 1928, Page 6

The Evening Star SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1928. OPENINGS IN LIFE.

Ai,yosr simultaneously’ the Prime Minister and the chairman of the Bank of New Zealand have dealt with unemployment in Now Zealand. From such totally different aspects did they view it that there was no overlapping and no clash of opinion. . Mr Coates quoted statistics showing that this dominion, with only one in about every four hundred of her population out of work, is far better off than other Eng-lish-speaking countries, notably the wealthy United States, with, one in sixty compulsorily idle. The comparison may be comforting, but it should not cause any relaxation of effort to bring the number down as near to nil as is humanly possible. It involves an expenditure of a million a year, or approaching a pound per head of our population. Service is obtained in return for much of that outlay, but it is not always precisely of the nature most urgently needed by the community. Moreover, the special effort means an increase of rates and taxes, even though that increase may be distributed by leaving posterity to foot some of the hill, as is the case when indebtedness is increased by recourse to loan to 'meet the wages bill. It can hardly bo contested that the piling up of public debt and the heavy taxation on that account are contributory factors to unemployment. It is therefore stimulating to find that the suggestions of ' Sir Georgo Elliot explore ground altogether remote from relief work. He wants to see a larger proportion of our population engaged in really productive work. The official statistics be quoted, even though they may require certain modifications, are arresting. Towards every £3 of the national wealth one primary producer contributes £2, and two people in other avocations contribute 10s apiece. It would have been intensely interesting could Sir George have gone further and shown how the rewards of industry are divided; but it is safe to say that those figures would he in very sharp contrast with the former set. Economists have commented adversely on the post-war feature of the creditor class taking an increasing share of the return from basic industries, until, often the labour income of the small fanner is less than he could earn as wages. This feature, unconsciously recognised and tacitly accepted, must have a deciding influence when the choice of an avocation is made by the rising generation. Most unfortunately the Government’s indirect contribution to conditions affecting that choice also tells in the direction of making our community economically top-heavy. Firstly, there is our education system. Sir George Elliot criticises it because it “ fosters the idea of secondary occupations or professional careers.” There is a rigid limit to the scope of our secondary industries, dictated by the prosperity of our primary industries, because of the impossibility (except in rare instances) of competitive disposal of surplus output abroad. There has been such an extension of secondary school education that “the majority of boys leave school with their inclinations tending away from a farming occupation and towards the seemingly easier and apparently better-paid work of the city.” Further, there are double the number leaving secondary schools with such inclinations that there should be if the New Zealand head master quoted by Sir George Elliot is right in saying that 50 per cent, of the hoys sent on from the primary to the secondary schools should not have been sent on. Ministers complain of the growing education expenditure, and apparently much of it is wasted on unsuitable material. Even if all the material were good the training is for already over-crowded spheres. But if rectification is made in the education system, it must be accompanied by a most decided change in the land policy, or there will be no openings there as well. What between the Government and the land boards the door to increasing settlement seems securely locked and the key mislaid.