UNEMPLOYMENT

Northern Advocate, 24 September 1927, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT

ALLEGED INACTIVITY.

SPIRITED DENIAL.

BACKED BY FACTS.

(From Our Parliamentary Special.) WELLINGTON, This Day.

A debate on unemployment was initiated by Labour members in the House yesterday. Mr J. E. Howard moved an amendment to reduce the Labour Department’s estimates as an indication of dissatisfaction with the Government’s inactivity in the matter.

The Minister of Public Works replied thaU there had been no charges of inactivity in the past. The Government had said that* when Public Works were finished it was not right to keep men standing-by idle. Between March 10 and September 17 a total of 419 ft men were offered work by the Department. Of that number, 272 did not report and 1782 had left of their own accord. The Minister said he did not blame them for leaving, for many of them were not suited, or not fit, for the work. They had to be tested out and if they were" dismissed it was because they w r ere not able to - do the work. He said he had quoted the facts to show that there had been an effort to give the men employment.

The Minister of Labour said it was natural that unemployment in Auckland would be worse than any part of the country as it was the largest city. He did not doubt that, unemployment had been serious, but he did. .not think it had been as bad as had been stated. The figures in the possession of the Department were a good barometer as to the position and showed whether unemployment was increasing or deereasing.

Mr M. J. Savage: HoW many are unemployed in Auckland according to the Department? The Minister: The figure is 716. Mr Savage: Surety that is not creditable.

The Minister said that) despite what had been done by the Government and local bodies, the number of unemployed remained fairly constant. The Leader of the Opposition: What is the explanation of that? ,

The Minister: Well, all I can say is that when the local bodies and the State open up relief works the unemployed drift into the cities. /

Mr D. 6. Sullivan: Should not you 1 make it a national responsibility then?

The Minister stated that there was a large number of unemployed who iwfere not suitable for Public. Works, and these men were most difficult to place. His figures went to show that there were 325 unemployed in Wellington, 420 in Christchurch, and 179 in Dunedin. He was aware that the Department’s figures did not give the exact position, but they were a reliable guide. It was very easy for the Labour Party to criticise the Government in regard to unemployment and, no doubt, it was very profitable at the present time with a 'by-election in progress. The Minister denied that the Government was callous so far as unemployment was concerned. Everything possible had-been done to relieve the difficulty.