UNEMPLOYMENT CURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20519, 21 March 1930, Page 15

UNEMPLOYMENT CURE.

LAND SETTLEMENT URQEDx ,

CONFERENCE RESOLUTION. -

RECENT REPORT DISCUSSED. „

A vigorous land settlement policy, a# opposed to the relief proposed ia' the recent report of the Unemployment! Committee, was advocated by a confer* ence representing industrial and other organisations, held last evening in that Chamber of Commerce.

The conference sat a month ago ta| consider an ' "employment assurance' 3 scheme drafted by Messrs. A. J. Hutohin* son, W. J. Holdsworth and L. A. Eady„ and was adjourned. The second meet* ing last evening was devoted mainly „to> a discussion of the Unemployment Com* mittee's report, made public in the in* terval.

Mr. M. Stewart, president of tha chamber, who presided, said that even if it were not possible to agree on either of the two schemes under the organisation set up at the last meet* ing should not be broken up without} doing something toward the relief of unemployment in the current year. It was obvious that neither the Auckland scheme nor the Unemployment Commit* tee's scheme could be put into effect be* fore the end of the year.

Referring to tho committee's report, " Mr. Eady said that the figures showing ' the increased expenditure in unemploy* ment relief by State departments and local bodies were very illuminating*. Most of .these works, from the utility] point of view, could well have been de« . e ferred. It was clear' that a long-ranga « scheme of public works was very desirable! -- and that attention should also be given to the breaking-in of undeveloped lands for, . productive purposes, as Mr. Hutchinson'i ; r scheme proposed. Standard Wages Condemned. ••

Mr. G. Finn, representing the Mantii facturers' Association, said that unem« ployment insurance was a; worse evil than unemployment itself. The safest and most economical remedy was through thaf development of Crown lands, if necessary, by companies which should receive 4 bonus for every bona fide settler estab« Jished on the land.

Mr. F. M. Hills (Rotary Club) said that personally he approved the Unem* ployment Committee's scheme, with thf -t proviso made by the Chamber of Com* " merce, and with a further one that cur« ' . rent rates of wages should not be paid for relief work, as the committee pro* .H posed. ' * Professor H. W. Segar (Economic Society) supported Mr. Hills on the latter

point. He said that experience the world over was against the paying of standard wages for relief work. Mr. M. G. MeArthur, on behalf of ths » Land Settlement and Development' League, said that if legislation wera enacted on the lines of the Unemployment Committee's report the effect would simply be to make unemployment, a per-( manent condition. It was all very well • * for the Government to say that existing departments of State -would be used to carry out the scheme; nothing was more certain than that a special department ; : would be set up to collect the personal tax and provide work Jor all who applied* :: A really enterprising and active Minister 3 of Lands, using his present power to de* a velop unoccupied lands, could solve th» unemployment problem at once. High Industrial Costs. _. K Mr. A. A. Ross (Farmers' Union) read a resolution by his executive expressing the opinion that a permanent scheme for the relief of unemployment could be only, . a temporary palliative -under present con< .-isditions, owing to high costs, which /weraf hampering both primary and secondary, -j industries.

Mr. Ross said he did not agree with' '. the main proposal of the Unemployment' ~ Committee that a permanent organisation 3 should be set up. However, he found some good things in the report. Ona was the suggestion that there was art ■ unlimited scope for 1 the development of '* small farms with pigs and poultry. He . agreed! with the committee that the lowering or abolition of the duties on T f> stock foods would be of great help and would say that the same might be done with other products, including wheat. 5 i Mr. A. Spencer (Employers' Associa* r " tion) said the Government had made a very great mistake in offering relief work at full rates to all who applied. If a. permanent unemployment relief scheme* were put upon the Statute Book there . ' would never be an end of it. Mr. N. G. Gribble (Land Settlement' and Development League) presented a resolution passed by his executive condemning" the principles underlying the Unemployment Committee's scheme and affirming that no solution could be readied except upon those advocated by the league and that of "no work, no pay." The chairman said that apparently one of the organisations represented was i« } favour of the scheme, -two were neutral

and four were unfavourable to it, Two Resolutions. Passed. After several propositions had beea( brought forward and withdrawn the foI-4 lowing motion by Mr. Finn, seconded by Mr. McArthur, was adopted by 10 votes ~:b to 3:—"That this meeting is of opinion that the unemployment question should be settled by adopting a vigorous land settlement policy and is opposed to the . forms of unemployment relief discussed at? 'Xi this meeting; and we particularly draw, ..XTattention to the necessity for a radical inquiry as to why private enterprise is unable to undertake"the breabing-in of v 5 new land under the present economic conditions."

A motion by Mr. R. Glover Clarkj seconded by Mr. H. M. Rushworth, M.P., ; approving the Land Settlement and De-< velopment League's proposed Dominion! campaign in support of land settlement as a means of unemployment relief was alsa adopted.