PARLIAMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 August 1928, Page 11

PARLIAMENT

APPEAL FOR CO-OPERATION

(.Special to “.Star.”)

WELLINGTON, August 10

An appeal especially ’ directed to members of the Labour Party for the co-operation of all sections in the House, in endeavouring to solve the economic problems of the day, was made in the House, to-night, by Mr 1). Jones, who said he hoped ‘that members of the Labour Party would co-operate with the Government in the matter of finding a solution of unemployment. especially when the five or six thousand workers now employed on public works had to be absorbed back into the community.

Mr H. G. R. Mason: You may hear something of it. Air Jones: It is unfortunate to hear coming from the Garden of Eden, a voice with so little hope in it. He said he had thought, that Labour would immediately offer to assist to relieve the problem. The Labour Party would have to tackle the problem in an entirely different manner from what it had been tackled up to the present. Labour voices: Hear, hear. “1 mean in their methods in regard to employment,” said Mr Jones. He suggested that what was needed in New Zealand was the recognition that Mr Ford’s doctrine was the only sound one, and that was cheaper production and increased wages. When cheaper production came along, it would be possible to increase wages, but there must be cheaper production first. One of the main needs in this country was to take the dead hand of uniformity—we had it in the present Arbitration Court —and give the worker a chance to produce things that were produced elsewhere. “We want the co-operation of the Labour Party- to assist in that direction.” said Mr Jones. “We can together solve the unemployment problem if that is done. Our own Party iias given improved wages, better housing system, reduced customs duties. and better workers’ compensation. We have pensions and social legislation second to none, and the aim of the Government has been to produce a contented ’ worker. The whole goal of the Labour Party is to make the working population discontented.

Mr Holland: They only want gooperation. The attitude of the Labour Party towards Labour in New Zealand, said Mr Jones, must be altered. It was quite wrong to go inflaming prejudice, and adopt the old time system of scaring workers by hob goblin methods. If we only can get cooperation between every section of this House,” he said, in conclusion, “I believe we can get between five and six thousand mjen off the public works, and find an abundance of

work in New Zealand for them in our own industries.”