UNEMPLOYMENT PLANS

Evening Star, Issue 21037, 26 February 1932, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT PLANS

GOVERNMENT MEMBER'S FORECAST MORE MEN ON THE LAND [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON,.February 25. The long-awaited policy statement of Mr Coates, Minister in Charge of Unemployment, will contain few, if any, new proposals, if the forecast of its main features supplied to the House by Mr Murdoch, the mover of the Ad-dress-in-Reply, is a reliable guide. Mr Murdoch repeated the statement that the Minister would announce his proposals to the House at an early date, and proceeded to give what he termed an outline of them. “Mr Coates,” ho said, “proposes to place as far as possible more men on the land, and to carry out drainage and reclamation works. In that respect much can be done, since there are many areas which it would pay to have reclaimed. As a result, it is hoped that men will be placed on small lots which they will be able to use to their own advantage.” Tho member said it was hoped also to,, extend prospecting for gold, and to supply tho Mines Department with additional funds to enable the prospectors to be subsidised. He understood thafc those funds were _ now available, and from that expenditure greater results could be expected in future. “ How will the additional fund be raised for prospecting? ” inquired Mr Holland, Leader of the Opposition. Mr Murdoch: " It may be necessary to raise additional funds, but I don’t want to anticipate what the Minister in charge has to say. and I will leave him to explain it wlien the time arrives.” , ' .' . •' '■ ' , The member referred also, to Public Works economies, but was immediately interrupted with a Labour interjection: “ More unemployment.” ,Mr Murdoch’s reply was that the position had arisen through the general financial situation, and, if the service were to be retained at its present strength, further moneys would have to be raised by taxation or loan. However, he added, that matter would also be touched upon by Mr Coates.

Concerning the projected amendment to the Arbitration Act, Mr Murdoch assured members that it was not proposed, as has been suggested, to abolish the court.

Mr Parry (Labour); You are going to slaughter it, though. Mr Murdoch: “That is not proposed.” He added that the captains of industry had insisted that industry was being hampered by the operation of the Act, and it was agreed that more elasticity was required. The Government had to consider,i. further, how far the Act affected unemployment. Mf Sullivan (Labour): Half the men out of work have been sacked by the Government. Mr Murdoch : There are men out of work who claim that, had it not been for tho Act, they would be in employment to-day.