UNEMPLOYMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 February 1933, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT

(To the Editor)

Sir,—ln reference to the unemployed, I think it is high time we got a little consideration from the present Government (if we can call it such), who have over one million pounds belonging to us which they are squandering on various schemes. This money was demanded, and is being demanded, from the public to assist unemployment, but a big part of it is going to the big farmers in buying land at excessive prices to put a few men,on. How many of us unemployed in Nelson have lost our homes?—and it appears as though all of us will do so, and in the face of this the Government have the infernal cheek to engage two men to inquire into our position and whether we are. maintaining our wives and families. Of course, we must say “Yes,” but there is not one man amongst us who is maintaining his family. We are barely existing, and some of us hardly doing that. Why, the whole thing is absurd. How can any man support his wife and two children on 30s a week, or, to be correct, 22s 6d a week, seeing we lose one week in every four. It’s up to every man in business and wage-earner to help us in these times of distress. The business men’s turnover is governed by the workers’ wages, so why don’t they come forward in a body and help us? The present Government is for the big squatter, who is no good to the country at the present time. What we want is our cities and towns to be busy, and to do that it means the building trade must be encouraged. When the building trade is busy all our tradesmen—carpenters, plumbers, painters, etc., ironmongers, furniture warehouses: in fact, all business people are busy. Then the farmer can produce and get good prices for his products. But at the present time it is no use him producing. W 7 e cannot buy his produce. Surely there is someone capable of suggesting a building scheme. We notice in our daily paper liovv the building trade and shipbuilding is starting to improve in other countries — a sign of- recovery from bad times. That is what we want in New Zealand. Why don’t our M.sP. economise, if only in their liquor account, which costs us many hundreds of pounds a year.—l am, etc., PROGRESS Nelson, 9th February.