UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 6 September 1928, Page 7

UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

I MEN WHO REFUSE WOKE. LABOUR .PREMIER'S PROTEST Although there- is a Labour Government in Victoria-, there has been perI sis-tent imepiployment during the last year. In its efforts to relieve- the situation. the Government has followed method's used in other countries, but it hhs neither solved the problem nor escaped eavticiisiri. A. detailed -review ol: wliat .lie Government. has done to alleviate the -position was given by the- Premier, Air E. Hogan. recently, when a deputation representing the unemployed led a-'pro-cession through the city to his office, 'ji.ie spokesman said the Gover limelit’is provision had not been sufficient, and the- -unemployed looked to the- Govern-j xilent, especially a. Labour Government, tic. -assist as far as possible to find work for the unemployed. Mr Hogan said the Government s principal difficulty was of a financial rut;are. During the last 12 months at had spent £421.000 on unemployment. This largo expenditure was directly responsible lor the- Government’s recent deficit. As -a- result about 12,(W0 men had been provided with * work. During the period from May 1 to August- 4 employment had been provided for 2700 mein Contracts for new public works had been, recently let, and these should provide- additional employment- for- a- large number of men. These contracts and the approximate estimated cost were a-s tfolilows : University High School, £40,000; new nurses’ home a); Alfred Hospital. £23,400 • Uy-e and Ear Hospital, £30,000; new fire- brigade building. -£35,000; new botanical! school at the lJniversit\ , •<•2O 000; new wing to Parliament House, £53,000; and a. number of minor works. He considered the Government’s promise- to absorb, the unemployed by commencing public works had been fullfiJled. The- Premier then gave some a-rre-st-ing facts concerning the operations- o-f th-o- Government Labour Bureau. .1 miring the last- ten weeks, he said, 72/ men registered on the books were sent for. at -18 hours’ notice, but did not appear. Of these 084 were married and 13 single. Of those who did reply to the call -ill (389 married, 13 single) were offered work hut refused it, while of those who accepted -.3 (81 married. two- single) failed to go to the employment provided. This made a, total of 1221 who had refused work within ten weeks. These men wou-ld receive no consideration whatever from the people or from the Government. Yet tliev could skill parade the streets ami sav they wanted work, although they had refused it. Many men evaded emplciy-mcnt by allowing tfic-ir regi-stra.tion a-t the bureau to lapse after a- month, and when khey applied to have it‘renewed they wore put down to the- -bottom of the list. A« to the future, sard Mr Hogan, the Government was 'endeavouring to cxpediia-te the absorption cf unemployed bv -speeding up'the starting of now work's, and by asking semi-private and public bodies' to do the same.