NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY MONDAY, JUNE 21, 1926. FIND A JOB

Northern Advocate, 21 June 1926, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 1926. FIND A JOB

Registered for transmission through the post as a newspaper.

It is only to be expected that the advent of winter should bring a certain amount of unemployment, especially to that largo class who come within the category of “unskilled,” in that they arc not craftsmen. The nature of the season, even in tho most prosperous years, necessitates the stoppage, or slowing down, of certain classes of labour, but when it happens that winter and a certain degree of trade slackness visit a

country simultaneously, tho difficulty of “finding a job” becomes intensified. So far as Whangarci is eon- j corned, it is a matter for congratula-1 tion, and a tribute to tho stability j of the thjat {Unemployment, ] so far, is comparatively light. It is j this gratifying fact which should,' stimulate effort to prevent the j growth of .unemployment, or the continuance of the disability suffered by those who unfortunately are out of work. A great deal can be done by the general public to help those who arc temporarily unemployed. It is the duty—and it should be considered the privilege—of everybody who can do so to help his unemployed j neighbour. This can be done in aj much better way than by contribut- j ing to a subscription list. There are j very few people who cannot “find ai job’’ for a man who is out of a job. j No matter how proud a man may bo of the manner in which he keeps his' garden or his buildings, he is to be | envied if scrutiny does not reveal' some improvement which he intends j to make at “some more convenient j season.’’ All manner of things could i be done just now with advantage,! though they possibly could wiait without '"’detriment. Is there any need to speak of digging, hedge trimming, path cleaning, fence renovations, rubbish removal land a! hundred and one ’ oilier things which would “find a job” for a man who | is unemployed? In at "least one Newi Zealand city, during a hard winter 1 when unemployment was common, three *or four public-spirited men j constituted themselves a “Find ai Job” Committee, with headquarters; at the Y.M.C.A. made a strong] appeal to the community to “find aj job,” and they undertook to “findj a man” for the job. Unemployed j were invited, to enrol at the eom-j mittee’s headquarters, and people prepared to “find a job” were asked | to send in their names and addresses with an indication of the class of work offering. Every evening the committee examined the lists and, men were told off to the jobs fori which they seemed most suited, j Wasters were given short shrift, the! committee sending only men who j bona fide wished to give a fair day’s, work. In this way some hundreds of; jobs were provided. The result was j desirable from every point of view. 1 The unemployed were given work at! the ruling rate of wages, citizens got j their properties cleaned .up, their 1 gardens dug and other work done, 1 the winter season was tided over comfortably, and the committee were rewarded by the knowledge that they had once more exercised the spirit -which had prompted other good deeds. We suggest that Whangarci should follow this good i example. The fact that unemployment is not severe should make lighter the j I work of a “find a job” committee,! 'but it is most essential that there should not be unemployed one man who wishes to work. By tho adoption of the practice to which we have referred the wheels of progress will be made do run more smoothly, the economic position of individual families will not be interfered with, the unemployed w.ll retain their selfrespect by giving value for wages received, and those who “find a job” will not only have the pleasure which comes from a good deed done, but will derive material benefit from the improvement of their properties. We hope this matter will be taken up seriously. Prevention is better than cone in the matter of unemployment as iai everything else.