UNEMPLOYMENT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 73, 8 March 1933, Page 4

UNEMPLOYMENT

DEBATE ON BOARD’S REPORT

LABOUR'S VIEWPOINT. PRIME MINISTER’S REPLY. Wellington, March 7. The morning and afternoon sittings of the House of Representatives to-day were devoted to a debate on the Unemployment Board’s report. Continuing the debate, Mr H. EHolland said that President Roosevelt, after stating the position of the world to-day, had gone 011 to say that failure had not come from failure of substance; Nature still offered hor bounty and human efforts had multiplied it, but the generous use of it had languished in the very sight of supply. That was what the Labour Party had been stating for the last two years at least. President Roosevelt had also stated that the reason primarily was because the rulers of the exchange of mankind’s good had failed through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence. President Roosevelt had also contended that the primary task was to put the people to work and ho had advocated national planning for and supervision of all forms of transportation, communications and other utilities which had a definite national character. Surely a statement made by the President of the United States should appeal to the Government of New Zealand. In the proportion of the population in the two countries the situation in New Zealand was as desperate as that in America. There was an immense amount of work of an economic character to be done in the Dominion. There were areas of land waiting to bo put to productive use, railways to be completed, highways to be constructed and rural areas which needed roading. The Government should also get in touch with secondary industries and find possible lines of development.

Continuing, Mr Holland said that before methods of this kind could be carried out it was necessary to increase the purchasing power of the people in the mass. This could be done so long as the works which were to be carried out were of an economic character. In conjunction with any organised system of employment the Government would have to reduce the hours of employment. and he suggested that the Government should start with a five-day week. Because of the tremendous advance in the efficiency and output of machinery it was essential that the hours of labour should be curtailed. Mr Holland said that a State bank would bo essential to the scheme for the purpose of the creation of credit and the issue of currency, provided the regulation of currency was strictly in accordance with production.

PRIME MINISTER’S REMARKS. The Rt. Hon. G. AV. Forbes said that New Zealand was by no means as badly off so far as unemployment was concerned as other countries, and he did not think that any other country had such a comprehensive scheme for dealing with the problem as New Zealand. America was in a much worse position than New Zealand. He regretted that Mr Holland had not put forward something of a practical nature. The Government and the board were willing to listen to any helpful suggestions, but it could not be said that the proposals advanced by Mr Holland were helpful to anyone Mr Holland: My way is the only way ° Mr Forbes said that Mr Holland seemed to think that the provision of the necessary money was a simple matter. _ The primary industries of the Dominion were organised as well as any primary industries in the world and many of the secondary industries were a credit to the country. So far as the Public Works policy was concerned it was well known that the Government had completed all undertakings which could be expected to make a return for the money expended He recognised the seriousness of the position and that a number of people were living under very difficult circumstances. At the same time, it had to be remembered that they were taking £4,000,000 a year out of the pockets of the people for unemployment relief, and that was a very big burden. If tho Government did all that Mr Holland required to be done it would have to double that amount. Money could only come through further taxation. As soon as the session was over it was intended to have a round-table discussion by Cabinet and the Unemployment Board. He did not want it to be thought that the Government was not alive to tho seriousness of the problem. The Labour Party talked about issuing notes, but if the Leader of the Opposition had his way New Zealand would soon be in as bad a position as Germany had been after the war. The pound note would not be worth the paper it was printed on. SURPLUS PRODUCTION. Mr W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) asked what tho Prime Minister proposed to do with surplus production during tho winter. Would he say it would be impossible to distribute the surplus food to the thousands who were living in a state of semi-starvation? Mr C. H. Clinkard (Rotorua) suggested that the Unemployment Fund be supplemented by the issue of an additional £2,000,000 of currency, the whole amount to be spent on reproductive work. Mr H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East) said that the cost of running the Unemployment Board was too high. The Rev. C. Carr (Timaru) said that New Zealand should still be able to give a lead to tho world in grappling with tho, unemployment problem. Mr F. Jones (Dunedin South) said that if reproductive works were undertaken there would be 110 need for anyone to starve.

Mr J, A. Nash (Palmerston) advoeat

ed tho exemption of single relief workers in receipt of 7/6 a week from payment of the unemployment levy. Mr D. W. Coleman (Gisborne) said that when Mr Forbes ridiculed the Leader of the Opposition’s suggestion to undertake a planned system of development he was only demonstrating his own and tho Government’s incompetence. The House adjourned at 1 p.ra. The discussion was continued when tho House resumed at 2.30. Labour members criticised the manner in which tho Government handled the unemployment problem, declaring that it had failed to present a constructive programme. Mr S. G. Smith (New Plymouth) defended the activities of the Unemployment Board. He added that lie recognised that more would have to be done. Single men could not be expected to be content to remain indefinitely in camps at 10/- a week. There should bo a round-table conference of representatives of all interests to sec whether New Zealand coull not again give a lead to tho world. The problem should bo considered from a non-party point of view. The discussion was interrupted by the adjournment of I he House at 5.30.