UNEMPLOYMENT CURE

Evening Star, Issue 22327, 1 May 1936, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT CURE

RELIANCE ON HOUSING SCHEME BRITAIN'S EXAMPLE' [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, April 30. Tire important part a housing scheme will play in the relief of unemployment was, emphasised by the Hon. M. hagan, Leader of the Legislative .when moving the second raiding ot the Employment Promotion Bill in the Council. ~ , At the outset, Mr Fagan said he did not propose to criticise the Unemployment Board, which th# Bill abolished. In addition to placing men on works of a public nature and encouraging secondary industries, it was the intention of the Government to embark on a housing scheme. “ I place the most confidence in the housing scheme, said Mr Fagan, who recalled bis visit to Britain last year, as the Council’s representative at the Empire Parliamentary Conference. He said the claim had been made that Britain had reduced unemployment from 4,000,000 to 2,000,000. He had made investigations how that had been accomplished, and’all his investigations led him back to.one end. During the slump conditions had been such in Britain that the banks refused ,to accept deposits on account of the accumulation of funds. Then someone started a building scheme, and it had expanded so that England. Scotland, and Wales were being rebuilt. A high tariff had been put against cheap_ commodities coming f rom the Continent; Britain’s industries had been protected, and in Britain they claimed that thdy had directly absorbed 800,000 people into the building industry alone, and with subsidiary industries that meant another 800,000 absorbed indirectly.

“ We will succeed in absorbing many of our able-bodied unemployed on public works, hut when we start the housing. scheme, and we very shortly will, thousands of houses will be built in both islands, and for every unemployed ■worker we absorb on public works and railway construction, the housing scheme will probably absorb six men or more.”