UNEMPLOYED AT HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20072, 9 October 1928, Page 12

UNEMPLOYED AT HOME.

THE PEAK NOW REACHED. VISITOR MEETS FARMERS. CONSIDERING LOCAL NEEDS. A licai'ly welcome was given to Lord Lovat at a luncheon arranged by the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association yesterday. The president, Mr. W. W. Massey, took the chair, and among the other guests wero Mr. F. Skevington, of the British Treasury, who is accompanying Lord Lovat, Sir William Glasgow, Commonwealth Minister of Defence, and Sir Heaton Rhodes. The president, proposing the health of tlie guests, said Lord Lovat was not a figurehead, but a practical man, and with a practical man handling affairs there was bound to be some result. The Imperial Government had not been satisfied to act in regard to migration without sending representatives to see the country and learn what its peoplo thought. Lord Lovat would shortly meet men whoso views would no doubt meet with his approval, and that of tho Government lie represented. New Zealanders genuinely wished to give what help they could toward relieving unemployment in Britain. Possibly Lord Lovat would be told that objections would bo raised against any migration scheme on account of unemployment in the Dominion. This might well happen, but tho fact remained that moro settlement would mean less unemployment in the cities. IFho could induce the Now Zealand authorities to bring forward a land settlement policy, much good would result. In tho past few days they appeared to have awakened to the need of doing more. Possibly it was duo to the efforts of tho Land Settlement and Development League, or to the approach of the general election. Surplus Men and Vacant Lands. " In sporting language, your chairman lias fired a shot among the ducks," said Lord Lovat. " I am afraid it will be said ho gave the show away. People may declaro I have come here on the eve of a general election, and also that I shall arrive in Australia at a time when, at all events, I can bring moral pressure to bear. I can assure you nothing was farther from my thoughts when I left England." It was difficult for him to speak of his mission in a country which ho did not yet know, and to which ho could not say particular policies would be applicable. He had come because ho believed there were great possibilities of co-operation, and the saino objects were in view. New Zealand wanted a larger population to develop her unoccupied lands. Britain wished to co-operate. Obviously, it was for the Dominion to state tho lino along which she wished that co-operation to bo given. Beyond question unemployment was serious in Britain, but it had been serious before, and the country had 'got over it. In 1826, 11 years after tho close of the Napoleonic Wars, Britain had had 1,800,000 unemployed. To-day, nearly 11 years after the close of the Great War, she had 1,200,000, but her population in 1826 had been only one-third to one-half that of to-day. Unemployment appeared to have reached the peak. One of tho effects of war was to reduce population, and.it was estimated the number of children coming to working age next year would be from II to 15 per cent, lower than at present. This would give some relief. Tho greater absorptive power of industry would also [ help, although not for an idefinite time. Pacific's Need of Men. It was estimated there wero in Britain some 200,000 people suitable for migration. These had all stood the test of hard work as miners or iri other heavy industries. They belonged to a class of workers who were without equal anywhere. The Imperial Government wished to encourage these people to migrate, and also those others who, although not on the unemployed list, were ready and lit to seek their future overseas. .All was subject to tho wishes of the Dominions. " We believe the Southern Hemisphere is looking for men of this type," declared Lord Lovat. " Pacific problems arc increasing from year to year. There are vast increasing populations in Asia. We must stand shoulder to shoulder and see what is best to be clone." Regarding land settlement in New Zealand Lord Lovat said ho had no knowledge of it except at second or third hand, and, therefore, ho could not offer any ideas. Howover, ho hoped a development policy would be framed, and that moro people would be secured for the Dominion. " I can assure you," he added, "that I will not support any theory that there is a fixed amount of work to bo done, and that if now men arc brought in they are bound to displace others. Such a theory is the negation of progress, and is contrary to common sense." General Smuts had told the Boers it was fallacious, and the history of tho United States showed how an increase of population went with the development of natural resources. " I do not wish to anticipate," Lord Lovat said, in conclusion, " but I am sure that through talking with each other wo can make progress toward our object, which is the development of your country and tho assistance of that development by our forces and men at Home." MINERS FOR HARVESTING. CANADIAN EXPERIMENT. Reference to the experiment of sending 8000 British miners to Canada for the wheat harvest was made by Lord Lovat in an interview yesterday. The results had been generally satisfactory, ho said, A certain proportion of the men had proved misfits, but 7500 were still in Canada—a high proportion considering none had had previous training or experience, and some had been brought over at a week's notice. The task now was to provide them with work for the winter arid to create new openings which would enable them to settle permanently. When shown a cablegram published yesterday regarding a scheme for settling 10,000 British families in Canada, Lord Lovat said there was no authority for the statements made, which wore inaccurate.