UNEMPLOYMENT OF YOUTHS.

Northern Advocate, 27 October 1932, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT OF YOUTHS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l would like to thank Mr Barclay for his letter, which goes to prove a point made on Sunday evening, and also on an earlier occasion, that the deep roots of cur social troubles are moral. One agrees that it is contrary to moral principles for a policy to continue which will allow boys to replace men, and often men with families, because they are cheaper labour. Individuals who do this are putting "self before service," and such does not conform with the Christian code of morality. If this is happening to ■any extent, then it is good that public attention should be'' drawn to it, ana one hopes that Mr Barclay and others will report such cases to the proper authorities, so that the scheme mav be amended to prevent its continuance. One would like to say emphatically that the motive behind the churches in drawing attention to the serious moral consequences of unemployed youths, is not that men now employed should bo supplanted, but that new work should be found, if possible, and that a social system should be framed, which will make impossible the present state of affairs. In this respect one stands by what, was said on Sunday evening, that unemployment is demoralising to youth, and that society will yet have a heavy toll to pay in coming years for what is happening today. The full text of the address given on Sunday evening was not published, but Mr Barclay will remember that it. was stated, that finding "work is not a cure for our social disease. Finding employment is like maintaining a hospital to heal sick people instead of going to the root of the trouble, and removing the germ that causes the malady. That germ will never be removed except by an international action, prompted by the highest moral motives, which will frame a policy that will bring about a correct ratio between population, production, and the standard of living. In order to do this another ratio will be neeessary, namely the correct amounts to be spent on consumption and production of goods. A discussion of this belongs to the science of economics, and it was the moral aspect of the question, rather than the economic, that fittingly belonged to the pulpit. For a popular and interesting discussion of the ethical and economic issues involved, one would recommend \. A. Deni ant’s book, "This Unemployment: Disaster or Opportunity," published Ity the Student ' Christian Movement Press. 1 am, etc., W. ELLIOTT. The Manse, Whangarei.