TIMELY TOPICS

Northern Advocate, 19 December 1932, Page 4

TIMELY TOPICS

THE WORKLESS IX GERMANY. Mr A. Pownall, M.P., writes to “The Times’’ as follows; “While in Germany recently with the Anglo-Ger-man Association’s Parliamentary visit, I was interested to sec something of the experiment with regard to work for tho unemployed. Outside Berlin we saw an experiment in house building which goes even farther than that mentioned in your article. The employees of a big engineering house were working three days a week at the works, and drawing, of course, wages for it. On tho other three days they are employed in groups in building their own houses. The figures given to us wore 2500 marks lent by tho State, 1000 mark's taken to be the value of the labour, and a further 900 marks the value of the land. We had the opportunity of seeing some of the houses under construction and completed, and also of seeing the tenants, who seemed most contented with their new homes. There was an area of 900 square metres on which each house stood with a view to. its cultivation by the tenants. The rent worked out, we were informed, at 3 marks 55 a week —i.e., at par of exchange, 3/6. If only something of the sort, were practicable here it would go far to solve the problem of housing the less well paid of our workers.’’

AN OPPORTUNITY. Writing on November To, the ‘' Oliristian Science Monitor’’ sa;d: “The greatest opportunity yet offered American statesmanship to rescue the world from the slough of debts and depression into which it was pushed

by tlie war lies today at the feet of I President Hoover and Governor Roosevelt. The debtor nations’ exigent re- j quests for'Tellef, Mr Hoover’s prece-] dent-breaking invitation and the Pre-sident-Elect’s agreement to join in preparation of the ; American answer set the stage. The door is open for far-sighted, nonpartisan decisions. The patli is clear for restoration of confidence and a long advance up the road to recovery. For if the President and the President-Elect can cooperate with congressional leaders in an unimpassioned reconsideration of the realities of The debt question and can work out a policy designed to serve the United States’ enlightened and long-range self-interest, they nill lift the world measurably out of the quicksands of political uncertainty and economic instability.” It will be interesting to read the “ Monitor s comments upon America’s action.