UNEMPLOYMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18678, 7 April 1924, Page 7

UNEMPLOYMENT.

Sir, Would you permit me a few lines on the subject of unemployment. I notiec by the report each week from the Labour bureau the average is '120 out of-work, •this, of course, alludes to those who register at the Labour bureau, bat what about those who are looking for work and haven't the time to go to the Labour office and register ? I am a married man with three children and have been in the one place for close on 19 months. Yesterday I was told there would be no more work for a while, so I had to get out of it. The injustice is this: Two other men (single men with no ties and fathers working to keep tHem should they get out of work) are kept on. Now, what is to become of the married men ? They have their rents to pay and prettly dearly, too; fuel, food and clothing for the children, also school books. Mr. Massey always insists on keeping the cradles full, but how is it going to be dons: at the present time ? A man gets, say, £4 10s per week; - anything up to 355" goes for rent; then there is bread, nwit, fuel, boots, clothing, school books and groceries to come out of the balance, £2 15s. If he gets out of work for, say, a month, that is £18 he has missed and somebody has to - s suffer. Years ago' I worked for one firm who put off all single men first, realising that the married men had all the responsibility and tho single men none. Would it not be better if all employers adopted this policy? It would lessen credit with the storekeeper and would keep the good class of citizen in our midst. A Fatheb of Thbbs.