AMERICA'S WORKLESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21552, 25 July 1933, Page 10

AMERICA'S WORKLESS

NO SYSTEM OF RELIEF LACK OF ORGANISATION [nv IT. MX. RAP IT —PRKSS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Monclny A former student of Victoria University College. Dr. Ernest Bcagleholc. returned by the Tainui yesterday after spending live years in England and the United States. Ho was for threo years at London University, where he trained the Ph.D. degree, and later, having secured a Commonwealth fellowship, ho was for twei years at Yale University. He will spend a month hero with his wife, an American citizen, and then probably will return to Yale and work for the Institute of Pacific Relations. Concerning economic life in America. Dr. Bcaglchole said the situation was very bad. Great hopes were held that President Roosevelt's Industrial Recovery Bill would speed things \ip. At present, the production of commodities had almost reached the 1020 level, but unless it could be arranged that wages went up to increase purchasing power, improved conditions would not obtain. Dr. Beaglchole said ho felt that the unemployment insurance scheme had helped conditions in Britain. That was where Britain was leading the United States, where relief was dependent upon private charities. Every now and again "drives" were made in different places, and the goods obtained were distributed through charitable oreanisations. That was not a very satisfactory state of affairs, and the relief afforded was not sufficient to keep bodv and soul together. There were thousands of boys and young women sunply meandering from plice to place because there was no real organisation for relief. There would have to be a move for some co-ordinated measure to promote an insurance scheme. LIVING ON CHARITY THOUSANDS FACE STARVATION [by telegraph—OWN- correspondent] DUNEDIN, Monday The unemployment situation in the United States was unbelievably bad, said ifr. T. G. Beck, formerly assistant district Public Works engineer at Dunedin, who lias returned after two years' work and study in the United States. It was estimated that 2.3,000,000 people were starving or living on charity. The banking situation had greatly improved since the Roosevelt Administration entered office. The optimism of the people was supreme; even the thousands who wero face to face with starvation had something bright to say. As to the future, optimism was very marked. Americans were an irrepressible people, who fought their way out of their difficulties.