The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1928. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10508, 11 February 1928, Page 8

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1928. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE UNEMPLOYED PR OBLEM.

Although the new season for tinmarketing of this Dominion’s primary produce is admitted on every hand to be proving satisfactory on the whole, there is. as yet, no guarantee that unemployment will not during the coming winter he just as prevalent as was the experience last year. Something more than a heavy aggregate return for the' season’s produce is, of course, essential if (here is not to he a large work less army in this country during what are usually the slack months of the year. What is required is flint more money shall he made available lor expenditure and that the charge for the use of it shall lie reduced. Ii will nol assist in the dovelopmeni of the Dominion if the hulk of the proceeds from the new marketing season lie withheld from those who, under reasonable conditions, would lie prepared to use them for -that important purpose. As a matter of fact, the Government, the banks, and the mercantile fraternity have now a grave responsibility resting upon their shoulders. How much development work, in the cities, ns well as in the country districts, can take place during the coming winter *vil! all depend on the monetary position. It, seems that the Government intends, in conjunction with the local Doilies, to establish fresh special relief works if unemployment should continue on a substantial scale and that, in addition, the Government plans to go ahead with large afforestation schemes. There can be no question but that much help can be afforded by* the former class oi works, bit. unfortunately, all classes rtf workless are not accustomed to work of that character. As regards reafforestation. that will, of course, be merely an extension of a scheme that lias already provided amazingly good results in some districts. It is a branch of State activity that must he persevered in for a great many years to come. As yet, however, what is mainly desirable in the way of a movement to enhance the general prosperity lags badly. What we have in .mind is the need for measures that will, in due course. make the investment of surplus moneys in broad acres just its attractive a proposition as it proved in preslump clays. It is iio doubt- true that a large proportion of lands 'ot this Dominion are to-day already heavily mortgaged, but there is still a much larger proportion that oonld easily bo made much more productive with the aid of judicious expenditure. Too much, it would seem, is beihg made of the cry that further deflation in values must take place before land investments again Income popular. The Government might easily sway investors if it were to enact that, for some years to eotne, taxation on incomes derived from the making of advances on farm properties should be less than taxation on incomes derived front other sources.