UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

Evening Star, Issue 20468, 26 April 1930, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Your correspondent, signing himself “ Ono of the Unemployed, also a ratepayer,” in Tuesday’s issue of the ‘Star* lias pointed out in finite a lucid way some of the aspects of this vexed problem. I so heartily agree with him that f beg leave lor a little space in your columns. He speaks of the, inequality of the labour. One man is worth Ids a day, another not Ss. The whole tiling is iu a nutshell: Why should labour not compete m the open market the same ns every other thing':' What have the unions achieved ? lias ever (here been so many unemployed, so few chances of placing the younger generation? Docs not everyone know of dozens who arc humped off when their wages arc due for a rise? And why is this? Is it not because the employers themselves are so hard pushed to make a “do” that they procure cheaper labour whenever possible Would not everyone do the same? Then the other aspect: Are the wage earners not living beyond their means? I say “absolutely.” In my business I come into contact with quite a number of the average working men. They are the same as every other 1 class—good, !-nd, a”' ! ; "c Terent And how many of them save a little for a rninv day? Very few. Hut go into their homes! They have pianos, oak furniture, wireless sets, and all manner of luxuries. They can spend money at the’picture shows, their wives wear fur coats, their children torn up their noses at plain food. All this—and no money in the hank! Then comes the rainy day—father out of work, and then the howls!.

Blame Hie Government, blame the City Council, blame the capitalist, blame anyone, but not themselves The want of thrift—good wholesome thrift—in this town is appalling. I have been (in my own personal case) staggered to bear working people talk glibly of their car (and a big car, too), and their earnings about £4 10s ft week. And if they are out of work they are immediately on the rocks. Does it not serve them light? Don’t they deserve to starve? Is the council or tlio Government to go on for over doling out relief work to" these people And please observe, it is always the same ones out of work. The reason is not far to seek. All the world over the good “doer” has to pay for the waster. But there is a limit, and the day is not far distant when cuts in wages will bo general. The days of squandering, waste, and luxury are over for a time, and until times are bettor, it will pay everyone to sit tight. hi the new order of things, the loafers are in for a pretty thin time, and I say if a man won’t work let_ him starve. If you keep feeding him and holding him up—taxing the people to maintain him—robbing the decent man to feed the waster you will find the position more acute as time goes on. Give men a chance to earn what they are worth (not what the union award says), and leave things alone everything will come right in its own way. Lot the ancient, unalterable law of the universe assert itself, “the survival of the fittest.”— I am, etc., “ Workeh.”