WORK AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21166, 26 April 1932, Page 12

WORK AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

Sir, —If a man cannot, find work —if citizens cannot find him work, then the governing bodies must find work, "VkC have work and productive work waiting to be done, and as a. nation we can and must finance it. and as many others have already said, by a State lottery. We send money to Australia to Tattersall's, to New South Wales, and even to Ireland to the Irish sweepstakes, and we have the legalised method of gambling, the totalisator. Then there is no excuse for not having a State lottery or art. union, for finance to do useful work and employ our citizens. We have grave poverty and distress, and we must lay the blame on ourselves if we do not make every effort to get work undertaken. I propose that the Harbour Bridge be undertaken by the means of a State lottery, even as the first London Bridge was built, and soon redeemed by a toll. There is valuable land round the Manukau waiting reclamation. Large areas of land in Yorkshire 100 years ago were reclaimed by dykes and floodgates, also much of the Lincoln fens have been reclaimed. Supposing we start and reclaim half a mile from low tide, some three miles —this will mean hundreds of acres of rich land close to the city, and will also employ thousands of our men. I believe the Mildura estate, Australia, was swamp land reclaimed, and now is some of the richest and most productive land. Have we not some real patriots, whose patriotism will be measured by love of this country, who will come forward and help with finance ? The depression we are passing through is largely due to the aftermath of war, with its strangling debts. This has always been the harvest we have reaped after every war. We are told all sorts of fairy tales about the war making the world a better place to live in; well, let us do our share, not squabbling, blaming some, and excusing others, but b e up and doing something toward doing away with unemployment and this will banish poverty and discontent. I hope to see the sardine industry started before long, and this will absorb many of our people. Remember John Bright's words: A country's greatness is not measured bv its great possessions, but by the happiness and contentment of its people. Rubt E. Watson.