UNEMPLOYMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20628, 29 July 1930, Page 12

UNEMPLOYMENT.

Sir.—During the v.r.i year.; there was sonic excuse for ill-coiKcived und panickylegislation. The same excuse cannot hold good to-day. To .see a country with * strong and intelligent people like we havo following blindly the lead of some of the older and more populous parts i.f the world, where condition r.rc entirely' different, is very far from ;, n inspiring sight. Our country is simply a large farm and cur men of vision propose tj put a premium on idleness by introducing the dole, and this is being done by a party that is very far from "being tW voice of the people. The money that has been spent on commissions. Royal and otherwise, relief works, charitable. aid. etc., must le by tiiis time a staggerin'amount, and out of nil this mess we must, to top it off, introduce the doK As an alternative to the dole, charital.fu aid, relief works and other feeble palliativ<>3, I suggest, that wo need a bold policy. Why not try (his before we adops the dolo .' i ako 20.000 lainilies, givo them the trochoid of 100 acres of i;md, finance them where necessary until .tiio cream cheque would support thorn. No concrete reads or' motor-cars. Just them on their feel until they get to minting about a dozen cows. i>y thi3 tiwo we will assume that the average amount owing to the Government would be £IOOO. Give them the lane, lend them a little to get on their feet and they will get there all right. A policy something like this would, assuming, the families to average three persons, mean placing 60.000 where they would do most good and I feel thai 60.000 people placed upon the land would shelve the question <■! in-: dolo for ,i, long time to come. The party in powe.r at present >.eent to he really concerned over the life and salaries- of n.oinLer.s of Parliament. 32'511.

Lis lott-.M- M«. V. E. Walker ssfca vhy when he came to Auckland to select ono from six experienced fan:i hands only ono turned up. Well I am sure I do not know. What T do knf.v is th,'it ii he had had an appointment 10 select one n-orn six fit «.ur men at the night shelter the whole si:;, would hay.j been :iio.v, and probably another siK as veil. Mr;, Y\ alkoi goes oti to sav ifiVo lie took the ono chap a" 25s per vreel;, but that Jio- only Mau\l a v.oek, cloari'ft^ out at .. inoiuom V uotiro. with some tah about bsing toe;, irr from the main rcral and "that so lon,~ a- he had a few ko'ii for smokes ho could alv/avs uct meals atal shelter. I womle:.* whether this was 1: : > real reason for or whether lnv found that lie could jjot get on with hi,s boss. I would bo iiiU.rested to Irlv. bis rt'tne.• j'jst to <:o- if 1.2 has accepted the dosshouse hospitality or' not. ' M(-. Walker also suggests that the. shelter should only house the old ar.d unfit, but T would like him and others to know that our riijht, shelter is intended onlv fm* men Who are down and cut and ready to lake any work that offers. Tie cava of the old and unfit, is essentially 4 matter for the Charitable Aid lit,arcl. In concluding his letter .Mr. Walker len~es me to send him a good chap, fron 16 to 20. at 20s per week for the winter. T have to-day wired him that 1 have u tip-t-op lad of 17 whom I am sending and th"; lad assures ine that if conditions are all right on the farm ho will ccVtainlv st-av for t lie winlci* and will endeavour to prove by hard work that J a is worth more th in h' pound a week V-> Mr. Walker. I would mention that sinrii my fust letter appeared in the HEHAi.it no fewoi- than 25 letters have arrived from farmers asking mo to send a mar.. In most cases. I am sorry to say thai the wages offered arc only 10s to 15s por week, which rather savours of exploitation of the unemployed ]>osition, but 'stilt I am getting men away to the jobs' ; M right. Bart Clark. • Organising Secretary. -Auckland Citv Mission. .