UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19957, 28 May 1928, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

The Prime Minister's recital of what the Government has, done in providing work for the unemployed should go far to silence the carping critics who have recklessly launched their condemnations. It is impossible to say, in the light of the figures given by Mr. Coates, that the Government has shown either a lack of concern or an incapacity to make practical effort. The figures, however, leave room for inquiry in relation to some particulars, not in any way reflecting on their accuracy, but in a hope that it may lead to a more detailed record when next such a statement may be made. It will be noted that, taking the Government relief works throughout the Dominion, during the last financial year, 6200 men were employed and over 3000 of these left these works of their own accord. Similarly, during seven weeks since the end of the year 1200 men were employed in relief works undertaken by the Public Works and Forestry Departments, and 400 left of their own accord. In both instances, the number of men leaving of their own accord is large compared with the number taken on. Has any attempt been made to find out why these men left or what has been their subsequent fortune as to employment? It is important to keep close track of all facts in statistics of this sort. The value of the statistics depends very largely on a full knowledge of all the individual instances of men registering, being employed, and leaving employment. For instance, of the men leaving of their own accord, it is important to know how many of them, if any, became registered again as unemployed, and how many of them went from the relief works to more permanent employment. It ought not to be forgotten that relief works are merely emergency expedients, and it must be expected that a certain number of men will leave them to find more assured employment. If the figures now given are explicable in this way, well and good. If they mean something else, the deduction may not be so satisfactory. What is required, in all these statistical summaries, is a thorough and constant system of collecting data, so that risks of fallacious interpretation may be reduced to a minimum.