WHY MEN ARE OUT OF WORK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 26 October 1928, Page 5

WHY MEN ARE OUT OF WORK

MACHINERY, WOMEN—A"ND MOTOR-CARS

WHERE THE MONEY GOES

Though Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P. for Temuka, stated that unemployment was rife the world over, when speaking to Tinwald electors, and that its general causes were beyond the control of any Government, he also named three factors which accentuated it consideAibly. The first was the introduction of labour-saving machinery. This could be clearly demonstrated by reference to the New Zealand countryside. Rural districts did not employ labour nearly so much as formerly and the first to suffer by any sort of depression was the hired man. Machinery had made it possible for farms to become more and more oneman businesses, and to-day if the farmer, or his son, could not .do the work it was left undone.

Then there were the enormous inroads of women in all spheres of activity, except manual labour. It was one of the common sights of any city to see hundreds of young women, well-dressed, wearing an air of independence, on their way to work as typists, accountants, and ledger-keep-ers. They had entered into keen coinpetition with men for their jobs. Between 1911 and 1921, the number of women breadwinners in commercial businesses had increased by 18,000. "I don't blame them," said Mr Burnett,

"it is a sign of the times, but we have got to consider it." "Then times themselves have changed," he continued. "Our outlook on life is different from what it was twenty years ago. I suppose that it is the feeling that we are a long time dead, which makes us spend more money on ourselves. The man who gets his wolh cheque to-day is tempted to go and buy a new car rather than put it ,n tie bank. Two years ago all the wool cheque of this country was sent overseas for cars, oil, and accessories. If. even half of this were on our farms it woiud be very useful. "Let me give you an example. Not long ago I got a truck of posts from Lake Wakatipu. They were :at and felled by bushmen, split and carted to the head of the lake. They were then put on board the Government stcam-.i and sent to Kingston, whence they weie transported by railway to Fairlie. They were shifted to motor-lorries and taken to my run at Mount Cook. A youth was employed for several days sledging them about and they were erected in a fence by a man who had a wife ■ and five children.

"Now, 1 also bought a wireless set which cost *me the same amount of money as the posts, £35. All of the sum 2'aid for the wireless set left in New Zealand was 5 per cent, paid to the agent as commission.

"When you charge the Government with fostering unemployment, don't forget your part in the matter."