EMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20603, 30 June 1930, Page 11

EMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT. EFFORTS TO GIVE RELIEF. MINISTER QUOTES FIGURES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Saturday. Unemployment was mado tho main theme of the debate on the first Imprest Supply Bill which was finally passed early this morning. Labour speakers figured most prominently in the discussion, their general lino of criticism being that although the Government had taken oh largo numbers of relief workers as promised toward the closo of last session, many men had been retained, in employment for only a short period. The Labour critics argued that until such timo as legislation to deal with tho problem became operative the Government should exert every effort to keep the men employed. Speaking in tho early hours of this morning, the Minister of Lands, Hon. E. A. Ransom, set out to show v.hat tho Government had done to deal with the problem since it assumed office in December, 1928. From that time onward 31,233 men had been provided with employment through Government bureaux throughout tho Dominion. He said of that number 20,346 were placed on Government works, 6319 with local bodies, and 4568 with private employers. Since April 1 last 4032 men had 'been given orders to proceed to Government works. That figuro was included in the total of 20,346. Number at Present on Works. Tho Department had also supplied tickets for steamer, rail and coach fares to 672 men who had themselves obtained positions in tho country and the department had recovered the cost of the fares from them after thoy had started work. Government work had been refused by 4380 men, while 11,287 had left Government relief works of their own accord. The total number of relief workers at present employed by Government departments was 6305, distributed as follows: Public works, including main highways, 4846; State forest, 760; railway, 601; lands, 98. "With tho exception of those placed iu railway workshops men on Government relief works have been employed on road and highway construction, afforestation, railway construction, land improvement and irrigation works, which have been speeded up," said Mr. Ransom. "These are all useful and necessary developmental works. As most of tho work is being undertaken on the co-operative principle, and the men are paid by results at prices which would enable men of fair average ability working industriously to earn the Government standard daily rate of wages tho taxpayer should bo receiving value for tho money expended and tho workers a reasonable reward for their labour. As a matter of fact, numerous co-operative parties on relief works under the control of the Public Works Department, are earning over 14s a day." Increase in Expenditure.

The total amount voted by Parliament for payment of subsidy to local bodies on relief work under the Imprest Supply Act (No. 1), 1927, and the Local Authorities Empowering (Relief of Unemployment) Act was £400,000. The expenditure and commitments to date were as follows: Expenditure to June 23 last, £256,027; unexpended balances of authorities, £49,163; total, £305,190. In addition, applications for subsidies amounting to nearly £30,000 were under consideration. Mr. Ransom gave details of the number of men placed on relief works since April 1 and the plans to place further men, including 200 from Auckland, in the very near future. The Minister quoted detailed figures of the expenditure for the last three years to show the rapidly-increasing amount. The expenditure in 1929-30 consisted of: Public works, £914,000; State Forest Service, £185,400; lands, £518,725; railway and land development work, £184,739. Then there were subsidies to local bodies, totalling £111,728 last year, showing a gross expenditure in one year by the Government of £1,415,592, or more than that spent in the previous two years. " A Job For Every Man." Speaking at 2 a.m., the Prime Minister, Hon. G. W. Forbes, said there had been a lot of criticim that the Government had failed to grapple with the position, but the critics' had failed to give the Government credit for what it had clone. The previous Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, had given an assurance last session that every man who desired work would be given a job in five weeks time. This was done, and many of those who had been out of work for months had been very grateful for the action of the Government. Some of the jobs provided had lasted for months. Mr. P. Fraser (Labour —Wellington Central): You do not suggest that at any time the problem has been dealt with thoroughly ? Mr. Forbes: Yes, at'that lime. Mr. E. J. Howard (Labour —Christchurch South): There have never been fewer than 500 men out of work in Christchurch. Mr. Forbes: Every man at that time who wanted a job was given one. Suppression of Figures. Mr. Fraser: Instead of solving the problem the Government suppressed the figures. The Prime Minister: Figures were published in Invercargill, Dunedin and Christchurch and other places and these led to confusion and the Government ordered that only the Dominion figures should be published. A Reform Member: You did not give them to the press. Mr. Forbes: They were not given to tho press, but any member who wanted them could have had them. The number of public works was greater than at any other time in the history of the Dominion, continued Mr. Forbes. With regard to tho burden on the local bodies, he stated that in all their work they had been subsidised by tho Government. It was only fair that they should take a share of the responsibility. He would :>ay, however, that tho Wellington City Council had dono more than any other council of the four main centres to relievo tho position and it deserved great credit. Mr. Sullivan: Chri&tchurch has spent £IOO,OOO in three years. Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour —Auckland Central): Tho number in the other centres lias been nothing compared with Auckland.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. BRIEF SATURDAY SITTING. [BY TELEGRAPH. —I'IIESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Saturday. The Legislative Council met at 10 a.m. to-day. The Imprest Supply Bill was received from the House of Representatives, put through all its stages, and passed. The Council adjourned at 10.15 a.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday,.