RANKS OF UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19882, 28 February 1928, Page 10

RANKS OF UNEMPLOYED.

FEW MEN FROM COUNTRY.

OPINION OF HON. O. J. HAWKEN.

Touching on labour questions in the course of an address at Papatoetoe last evening, the Hon. 0. J. Hawken, Minister of Agriculture, expressed the view that there are few country workers out of employment, and that the ranks of the unemployed in the city have not been swelled by recruits from the rural districts.

"In extensive tours of the country regions I have seen extremely few local workers out of employment," he told his audience. Admittedly, he said, one di 4 not expect unemployment in the farming districts at this time of the year, but it was admittedly serious in the cities. His observations had led him to tho belief, however, that the position in urban areas had not been accentuated by country workers drifting in. Tho Government was faced with a difficult problem to employ with any reasonable economic return the large number of city workers now idle, and it appeared to him that the only cures were better times and cheaper money, brought about by the creation of a still more favourable trade balance. That was to be secured by the practice of economy and increased production, not only by the farmers, but by the workers in industry.