Grey River Argus and Blackball News FRIDAY, MAY 20th, 1921. IS UNEMPLOYMENT ENGINEERED?

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1921, Page 2

Grey River Argus and Blackball News

FRIDAY, MAY 20th, 1921. IS UNEMPLOYMENT ENGINEERED?

Delivered every morning in Greymouth, Kumara. Hokitika. Dobson. Wallsend, Taylorville, Cronadun, Ngahere. Blackball. Nelson Creek. Brunner, Te Kingha Rotoinanu, Pocrua, Inchbonnie, Patara. Ruru, Kaimata, Kotuku. Moana. Aratika. Bunanga, Dunollie. Cobden. Baxter's. Kokiri. Ahaura. Ikamatua. Stillwater, Waiuta. Reefton. Ross. Ruatapua. Manama, Hari Harl. Waiho Gorge, Weheka. RewUnui, Otira. Inangahua Junction, Westport. Wainiangaroa, Denniston. Granity. Millerton. Ngakawau. Hector, Seddoaville, Cape Foulwind, and Karam??.

THE Canterbury Members of Parliament had a meeting the other day to discuss the growth of unemployment now so markedly in evidence throughout the country, but the outcome oi the meeting was simply a resolution to write to the Government to inform them, “the unemployment difficulty is developing in Canterbury,” and to ask what proposals the Government had to provide- mart) >\\o«kt there. Jt seems nonsensical 'to point out to the Government the state of things existing, as the Government is well aware of it. It is dispensing with the services of railwaymen and other workers mid in addition, men out of work are ; knocking at the doors of its various departments all over the Dominion, asking for a few days’ work. At the Canterbury M- P.’s meeting a Labour man declared straight out that the Government itself has engineered the unemployment difficulty. This remark was met by the non-Labourites with a. contention that ft raised a party question. But the Labour man could prove the truth of his assertion, only that truth is not wanted when it wndemns an administration whose xsupporters are trying to fool the people. The Government, said Mr J. McCombs has x about seven millions of money, | which it could use to find useful work ; for the unemployed, whereas we find i that the Acting-Premier declares the Treasury is empty. But this even if it were true, does not stop the Govern-1 ment i\'om collecting hundreds morej immigrants in the Old Country and bringing them out here with a guarantee of work and houses. Tho fact of the matter is that it is impossible to consider the causes of the present unemployment without realising t-ha® tho Government is very largely t<>j L V.

blame for it. Why is it that at a time when immigrants are being brought here in unprecedentedly large numbers, the Government closes down public works, sacks hands from the Railways and other departments, and says at the same time it has no money for providing any relief for those who hick both money and the means of making any? If that is not engineering unemployment, what is it? The evident object is to reduce wages. D is, in fact, clouding the issue to claim unemployment is a non-party matter politically or industrially. It is quite plainly and decidedly a party question in essence. The party in power is persuaded that it s backers will be the ultimate gainers by unemployment, since it is calculated greatly to lower wirges and thereby increase profits. The only thing that can be said is that the administration and politicians who can complacently contemplate the steady and general growth of unemployment in the land, along with the anxiety, the want and the suffering with which it menaces many thousands of men, women, and children, are lacking in 'that Spirit of humanity and brotherhood which is the first requisite in the personnel of any Gov-

ernment, and the sooner their reign is ended the better it will be for New Zealand.