THE UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20252, 11 May 1929, Page 14

THE UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

Sir, —At the opening meeting of the committee investigating the underlying causes of unemployment' ift* the : ' Dominion, the Minister of Labour is reported as having said:-—"I for one sincerely believe that the present ■ difficulty is only a passing phase,..and that ...the economic situation which has caused it, will, before long, cease to exist." It is to be hoped that Mr. Veitch is right, but I am afraid a few of us "hae our doubts." Things have been changing quickiy of late and upsetting the usual run of trade. Many find their ordinary means of livelihood gone, and have hit out in quite a new way to get a living—hard for those in their prime, and almost impossible for elderly workers—and 1 believe a lot of this has come about through our much lauded hydroelectric. schemes. Many people will ridicule this idea, but a little investigation will, I think, show there is something in it. Take the coal trade. We see our city power station, flour mills, various factories—many already using electric-power—soon all will be. Bakers, etc., are using electric ovens: offices and houses ara warmed by electricity instead of coal fires. All this must" mean a lot less coal used in our own city, and of course holds good wherever current is available. This means many miners thrown out and wlio will not be required as miners for some time at least. Then again steamers were required to carry a lot of this coal, and we all know that many steam colliers have been laid up in Auckland, and other ports, through the falling off of the coal trade—and probably many of them will not be required for some time—causing many of those who follow the sea ; to look about for some other means whereby to liv.e. In the engineering trade we used to do quite a lot of small oil engine building. These engines were used for driving milking machinery and other purposes. Electric motors havo almost completely cut out. this- work. Small motors are installed instead; generally more efficient wo know, but thov are putting a-lot of men in the'engineering trades out, who, like the others I ham mentioned, will find their usual occupation gone. The foregoing few examples, will. I think, show that some of the present difficulty is more than a "passing phase," and we would be wiso not to hang back and treat it as such —but endeavour . especially to placo those workers —some on in years—who find their usual means of livelihood gone. Tangata Kino.