JOBS FOR SINGLE MEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23055, 4 June 1938, Page 12

JOBS FOR SINGLE MEN

The Minister of Labour has acted with commendable promptitude in arranging work schemes for the unemployed single men, to whose plight the Herald called attention last week. Jobs are to be found for 3000 of these men throughout the Dominion. The size of the, figure offers an eloquent commentary on Mr. Armstrong's recent claim that "New Zealand is back to normal so far as unemployment is concerned" and also on the Prime Minister's assertions of abounding prosperity. A national economy in which at least 3000 able-bodied single men—to say nothing of the married—have fallen idle, and for whom jobs have to be created, cannot be as healthy as the Government claims. Actually the figure is certainly much higher than 3000. In Auckland about 800 single men are on sustenance and 400 jobs have been reserved out of the Dominion allocation to meet their case. On the Auckland basis it would appear that only half the single men will be found jobs. The fortunate 50 per cent are to be engaged on the condition that they accept vacancies on farms when they occur, provided the conditions of employment are satisfactory. The condition is eminently reasonable but Mr. Armstrong should explain how the proviso will be applied. Who will, decide whether the farm labour conditions are "satisfactory" and which among the 400 single Aucklanders is to be singled out for the first chance of accepting or refusing a farm vacancy 1 If the condition is regarded by Mr. Armstrong as a firm and valid one, he should be able to answer these questions. Finally the official who last week disclosed the hopeless position of the single unemployed stated at the same time that some of the young men could find normal employment in certain trades if they possessed the requisite skill. Mr. Armstrong has avoided that part of the problem, preferring the palliative of relief works to the permanent cure of training men for skilled occupations.