BRITISH UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20324, 3 August 1929, Page 11

BRITISH UNEMPLOYED.

MAINLY POLITICAL " STUNT."

MORE WORKERS THAN EVER

NEW LABOUR PSYCHOLOGY

"The general election in this country turnod upon tho statement that there wore :v million persons unemployed; that statement is nothing more nor loss than a political stunt, and will not hear examination." /

This vyas the statement made by Sir Ernest Benn, in an outspoken address at a luncheon of the American Chamber of Commerce in. London.

The three political parties, he added, had been discussing unemployment for months now, and ho had not heard from any political platform tho remarkable and indisputable truth that at this moment there were more people employed in Or eat Britain than at any time in her history. On the other hand there were ignorant people who had it drummed into them day after day that through some political notion a job could be found for them, and that it was somebody else's job to find (hem a job. "Until," said Sir Ernest, "wo find someone with courage to say to the people: 'lt is your own job to find a job,' we shall never get rid of the. trouble we have. Wo have created a huge vested interest in unemployment. "The picture of unemployment, is an exaggerated and a wrong one, which can give an entirely false impression of tho state Of this country," said Sir Ernest.

Ft was possible (o say many tilings to an .American audience which it was difficult to say to an audienceismothered in n deep political fog. • Seasonal Workers. Turning to an analysis of the reputed million unemployed, Sir Ernest said that tilis country had largo numbers of freelance workers whose employment was seasonal or occasional. Their work always had been seasonal, and they prospered during, their busy season, but today many of them threw themselves on tho dole immediately their busy season was over.

There were other large classes of workers who, thanks to the benefits conferred by a grandmotherly State, were classified as unemployed. Iho most scandalous case of seasonal workers going on the dole was that 01 seamen. J hey went to sea with the deliberate intention of having a quieter time when the rigours of tho voyage were over.'and went straight to register as unemployed workers. In the million Were many boys and girls who would be better left to the attention of their parents than to that of the Labour Exchange. When the million was analysed it slowly disappeared. Cotton was an industry of alternate periods of full timo and short time. Another great big block arose out of tho general strike of three years ajjo. Until that .'time every industry had in its shops and businesses a number of oddcorner men passengers, who perhaps were old, but were kept in tho business because it was the thing to do.

When tho disaster of the strike came the businesses could afford that kind of thing nn longer, and the passengers, in scores of thousands the country over, had to be dragged from the safe corners. They would never get. back into any sort of employment. "Psychological Unemployment.".

Then oamc tho biggest problem of all, with its real unemployment, the coal trade. Coal .was a usoful illustration of the sort of doctrine ho liked to preach—coal represented 5 per cent, coal and 95 per cent, politics. All through his life H had been a favoured plaything of politicians, and the Statute Book was bulging with Acts of Parliament putting the coal trade right. In 1921 Mr. Lloyd George settled the matter in such a perfect and permanent manner that everyone agreed coal was u closed book. The most powerful political movement in history had been directed all through the present, century to getting men into tho mines rather than getting coal out of the mines.

A most pathetic sight was (he group of youths of 22 and 23 who had never done a day's work in their lives, sitting about tho tops of pits which arc never (o be opened again, and waiting for somebody clso to provide them with jobs. That was psychological unemployment.

" How much unemployment," lie concluded, " is caused by trade union regulations. how much by taxation? Have you considered that we havo created a hugo vested interest in unemployment ? After fifteen years of the Ministry of Labour and unemployment exchanges the? Ministry is registering 1.000.000 unemployed, and a great burcauracy is spread over tho land, dependent for its existence upon the absence of the very thing it was appointed to provide."