UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

Evening Star, Issue 20999, 13 January 1932, Page 9

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I have just read “Delegate 208’s ” letter, and he has my deepest sympathy. But the St. Kilda workers are not the only sufferers. _ My husband is a relief worker; he finished on December 23, and after the New Year got three days’ work, earning the huge sum of £1 17s 6d, and was then told to stand down this week. I could not believe it, and I feel sure whoever is responsible for such a terrible thing can never have known hardships. What hope have Ito pay anything? I have not slept, thinking and wondering what to do. I have four growing children, all with appetites, and it is a painful thing for a mother when she has to refuse food, knowing well if they eat more at this meal there will not be enough for the next. lam fortunate in that I can sew, and I have turned many old things into now; and have worked hard, both my husband and self, in the garden. But winter will soon be here again, and bed clothing which was short last year, and which we hoped to buy before this winter arrives, is still unbought, and with such terrible conditions we have not a hope of buying. My husband, has tried hard to better our conditions, and spent all his days at Christmas in pushing his bicycle hundreds of miles looking for work, only to return home-tired and weary and disappointed.—l am, etc.. Mother op Four. January 11.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I was very much amused at Mr Forbes’s short and callous statement in to-nightV ‘ Star ’ concerning the unemployed disturbance in Dunedin. Mr Forbes says “there is a lack of funds, but no lack of sympathy for the unemployed.” I would like to know how long Mr Forbes could subsist on sympathy. There never seems to be an end to this sympathy ” strain of talk on Mr Forbes’s part; what we want is work, not sympathy. It seems to me that Mr Forbes is ever ready to dismiss tho unemployment situation with a wave of his hand and “ you have my sympathy.’ —1 am, C^C '’ Relief .Worker. January 12. TO THE EDITOR. Sir After seeing the crowd of unemployed—some of them, with their wives and children —on Saturday or reading of their it surely brings homo to us that never in the history ot this fair country is the time more opportune for all right-minded men and women to consider what steps must be taken to improve the position of the unemployed. That something must be done is "inevitable. We have business me., and others who surely have ideas of their own as to what they consider ways and means of bringing about an improvement of this present position, and I think that this is a matter which should not be left entirely to our members of Parliament and their committees to unravel. It appears to me that in the first place rationing ot work is necessary. Ido not see why a list of all those unemployed and their various callings could not be kept. All residents of this country have a right to work, and no man, whether in Government, municipal, or private employment, is more entitled to his job than l-is brother, who is in the unfortunate position of being unemployed m most cases, I Venture to say, through no fault of his own. There are certainly experienced men in positions where training is necessary, and this phase, of course, would have to be recognised. One could not expect to see our trains run with an engine driver who was not certificated, and there are mnay others of this class, but still there are thousands of employed in work receiving good wages, which their fellow unemployed could do. If we as citizens do not have the interest of this country at heart, then we have no right to live in it. Wo live in a land of plenty, and why should we not all share it? The rationing of work would, I feel sure, be one way out of tho difficulty. Another matter, which I think could help in no mean hieasure would bo_ to stop any superannuated man from being given employment. These men would, I feel sure, in most cases be in a .position to live comfortably on their superannuation. No man should be allowed to do outside work if he is engaged in Government or municipal work. I am also of the opinion that all those receiving pensions—l do not mean old age pensions—should have their pensions cut down if they are in receipt of more than a living wage. No widow receiving a pension should be given work without the job being first offered to another out of work. The same applies to a married woman where her husband is in regular employment. We have hundreds of certificated school teachers who cannot get a job, and why should they not have a share of the work given to those teachers in regular employment? I consider the Government should make the hanks, the rich i uurance companies, and other wealthy institutions take up the loans falling due, and that all interest on overdrafts should be considerably reduced. It makes one think when we read ot school teachers receiving good salaries going off for terra holidays, and their fellows starving. They have to remember that if it were not ior. tnu children tkey, wstild h9s fig

quired. We have bank clerks, solicitors’ clerks, and others who are in the same position. Would it not be wise that all foodstuffs which we pan produce in this country be stopped from importation,; and steps be taken to produce them in this country?. This would give more employment. We have thousands of acres of first-class land in the backblocks, which could be brought into cultivation if we had roads formed to it. This would give work in road formation. The improvements by way of subdividing the land by erection of fences, buildings, and various otherways would give work to many others,’ and the laud then could be taken up, giving opportunities to those who desired to go on the land. I feel that a good financial assistance to tho Government could be given by_ the revaluing of all land and buildings—the latter would principally apply to cities —say at their valuation of twenty years ago, and, if sold, a certain per- ■ centage of the profits to go to the Government, The increment in value earned should not belong to one party, but to the public as a whole. We. read of a property in Dunedin originally, costing a few pounds being sold recently for something like £50,000.Why should this handsome sum go to one party when we have thousands of. starving people in our midst ? Another matter which I think should he looked into is the number of Government officials. I am. also of opinion that wo do not require experimental farms and all tho expense of officials to run agricultural departments.] Surely our farmers have sufficient sense to know how to farm their farms to best advantage, and I will be surprised if many of them are in a position to farm under scientific methods to-day.i What is required more is to produce a better article than wo are doing,. Neither our butter nor cheese brings the price on the London market that Denmark does, and why is it that, in a country like ours, we cannot produce as good—if not better—butter and cheese as a foreign country P Do let us put aside so much thought of self, think, of our brethren in distress, and let us also say to the workers: “Give of your best in labour for the wages you are paid, and so let ns make or produce at a lesser cost, and so be in a position to compete with other markets.” —I am, etc., Citizen., : January 13. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Seeing that the unemployed are very uneasy at present and that it would not take mufih pressure to start the ball rolling again, I would like to ask any of the city councillors why it is that certain works cannot be started—viz., tho Leith Canal work above Forth' street to make our city free from floods. It has to be done, and why not now ? There is also a shortage of water, so why not start the proposed scheme from Deep Stream? The place has been surveyed, and the water has been, tested with satisfactory resultSj so why go short of water when there is plenty, not far away? There are also the Glen Leith and South Dunedin jobs, for which the money has been passed and the pipes are lying in the yard. I think that the ratepayers should push these two jobs, ahead, as they must have water in case of fire. Are the councillors waiting to see if the Government intends to make another 10 per cental cut before starting these works? ■ I would suggest that all these cuts should be handled by the Government, and so alleviate this distress. The only one gaining by them is the rich man, again.! the employer, while the employee suf-! fers. A correspondent mentions about? school books. Why do not some of the social workers ask the public through the Press to hand into them all last : year’s books that are no good to them now? I think that this would meet with a ready response.—l am, etc.,. R. Matheson< i January 13. TO TEE EDITOR. Sir, —Might I suggest that food and clothing are not all that is required.] Shelter is as necessary, and causes more; worry to the wives and mothers. Something should bo done to assist them to retain their homes without fear of being evicted. —I ara, etc., Mother. January 13. j