NEW SCHEME

Northern Advocate, 8 November 1934, Page 5

NEW SCHEME

TO PLACE UNEMPLOYED WORKERS POLICY OF BOARD ( [From Our Parliamentary Special.} : WELLINGTON, This Day. • 'The Unemployment Board has dei. cided to embark on a policy of endeavouring to place unemployed workers with private employers. The new scheme will be tried out first in one or two of the main centres, and if it is a success it will be extended.

In making the announcement of this development yesterday, the Hon. J, A. Young said the board had been of opinion that the improvement which undoubtedly had occurred in general conditions opened up possibilities of associating the functions of the labourplacing bureaux proper with the activities of the unemployment relief bureaux. The question had been brought forward by himself at a meeting of the board, and it-was decided that action should be taken along those lines.

The board recognised that" effective work in placing unemployed persons in private employment depended very largely on the securing of the confidence of employers in the recommendations made to them by the bureaux, said Mr. Young, and it was intended to exercise more than usual care in selecting officers who would be entrusted with the duties of making contact with employers. The idea would be tried at first only in one or two main centres, added Mr, Young, but if it proved successful it would no doubt be extended later. The board realised that there were large numbers of men on its register who, although they had to depend, on relief for a considerable length of time, were not content to resign themselves permanently to such a mode of existence. They were anxious' to resume their former places in the working life of the community. Also, it was believed that there were many employers who would be willing to give qualified unemployed men the opportunity of filling vacancies on their staffs, or even in some cases to create extra positions, if they could be placed in personal touch with deserving and suitable men. The board hoped by the experiment now proposed to bring the two together, realising the need in the interests of the country of providing alternatives to habitual dependence on relief.