LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 22327, 1 May 1936, Page 6

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

[Ter United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, April 30. When the Legislative Council met this afternoon the second reading of the Labour Department Amendment Bill was moved by the Hon. M. Fagan, who said the Bill was mainly a machinery measure. Mr Fagan also moved the second reading of the Employment Promotion Bill, and said that, although the Unemployment Board had done many things that one would disagree with, nevertheless it had done valuable work. Dealing with the Government’s measures to abolish unemployment, he said that, in addition to placing men on public works and railway construction, there would be a housing scheme and the encouragement of secondary industries. He personally regarded a housing scheme as very important. During his recent visit to the Old Country he examined how Britain’s unemployment had been reduced from 4,000,000 to 200,000. Money had _ accumulated and the banks were refusing to accept deposits. Then someone started a building scheme, and now England, Scotland, and Wales were being rebuilt It was claimed that that had resulted in the absorption of 800,000 men in the building industry alone. Mr Fagan maintained that for every man employed on public and similar works six or more men would be absorbed by a housing scheme. ■ When the Government went to the electors it would be judged more on its efforts in handling unemployment than anything else, and in tackling that problem housing must play a large part. Hon. W. H. MTutyre said the only contentious matter was the abolition of the Unemployment Board, and he had an open mind on that question. He hoped the Government would retain the services of the officers of the board. Hon. F. E. Lark contended that more had been done through the Unemployment Board to create unemployment than to try to check the growth of unemployment.. He suggested that if employers did not co-operate there would be legislation, the effect of which would be that all labour would have to be engaged through a labour exchange. , ~ , Hon. R. Masters contended that much good had been done by the Unemployment Board, and instancec} the subsidies granted to various industries. Hon. W. W. Snodgrass suggested that nurses should bo exempted from the unemployment tax. Hon. C. J. Carrington said he interpreted Mr Lark’s remarks as meaning that the Government would legislate as Mr Lark had indicated. Mr Fagan emphatically denied that there was any intention on tbo part of the Government of compulsorily making employers engage labour through labour exchanges. The Bill was read a second time, and the Council adjourned at 4.50 p.m. till 10.30 to-morrow morning.