TRAGEDY OF THE DOLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20627, 28 July 1930, Page 12

TRAGEDY OF THE DOLE.

BRITAIN'S GREAT PROBLEM.

BISHOP'S CALL FOR A POLICY. [from oup. own c:;iruerpondk:;t.] LONDON, June 19. "Wo are transforming a multitude of potentially admirable citizens into a mass of chronically idle, economically valueless and socially mischievous persons." The '-ffocjt Cl f unemployment arid of tile present methods of dealing with it was thus recently described by the. I'ishnp of Durham. "Every year," said Dr. Ilenson, "adds from tile elementary schools a new generation of boys to swell ihe ranks of the unemployed. They aie the. finest human material in the world, and wo seem to acquiesce in their debasement, '.(here is ti Nemesis for such folly." Nearly twelve yeaij alter tho Armistice, the bishop said, there was no occupation lor close on 2,000,000 people Old conditions of productive industry bad 1; rj/ely passed away, and in the future ji.dusliy .voulrl have to proceed under f.i and far more strenuous conditions. ' J ho main rrsfjiiisiie," sa d the speaker, "i., let the tiding o\er of a difficult in t i•.a I. tut the ci cation of wholly new i. :fis ot employment. When unemploy »;/ at was !;i,ovvii to be permanent, teni ] :.try expedients v.ere indefensible. The 1 employe! ought to be so treated that ti" r v.iu kin;; t opacity would be con• t. ■ ,-ed "Is not 1 lie liie more than food, and the bodj more than raiment'/" asked the 1 hop, but the Stale provided food find laiment for men who stayed in bed until eleven to read the sporting news, v.lio resided unemployment as a normal life and got married on the dole. The problem did not concern alone the shift Jess men who easily became unemployable, but a multitude of excellent work men who bitterly resented their misfortune, and whose numbers were swelled every year by new recruits from tho 6enools.