IMPROVIDENCE OF SINGLE MEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 16 April 1928, Page 5

IMPROVIDENCE OF SINGLE MEN

CONDEMNED BY MINISTER OF LANDS UNEMPLOYMENT AND LAP.OUR CONDITIONS vTiiemployment and labour conditions generally were touched on by the Minister of 1-mds (the Hon. A. D. MeLcod) during a tall; to formers at Bainharii on Saturday. Dealing with conditions in the town Mr McLeoci said that a man with a

wife and three or four children who tried to live in a town to-day on ,C 4 or less a week was just about, on the starvation line. Rut, as far as single men were concerned the speaker was afraid there was ;i great deal of improvidence in this country. If married men could do what, they did on .C 4 a week then the average single man should he able to save £2 a week. Cut, they did no! do so. That w;is one of the reasons for the di.stiess caused by unemployment. Unemployment, in itself was rioi a serious matter l<> the individual provided he had money in his pocket. Mr Mcl.eod's contention always hail been that the young single man who was pro vident and careful would never be on the country's hands. A number from (lie heller classes were out. of work hut that was a result of the depression. The Minister thought, that an improvement in the price of the Dominion's primary pin ducts would shortly see all those men employed. lie could assure those pre sent, that, tin? Government, was very careful and watchful in regard to all these phases. If New Zealand was the only country suffering from the effects of unemployment and depression then he would blame Hie Government, hut .similar problems were affecting all the countries of the Empire and Ihe rest of the world.