UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23067, 18 June 1938, Page 17

UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

THE MINISTER'S CLAIMS REPLY TO MR. HAMILTON [IT TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] FEILDING, Friday Speaking at Feilding last evening, the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, criticised the statements of the leader of the National Party, Hon A. Hamilton, regarding the unemployment figures when Labour took office. Ho also alleged that the newspapers had not published the true figures given by him. "There are 41,000 more employed in -{■ hops and factories alone," said Mr. Armstrong. "Does not that knock skyhigh Mr. Hamilton's statement that there were only 35,000 unemployed in November, 1935/? >Vhat about the farms also? Are they not employing more labour than when we took office, to say nothing of hotels and restaurants? "I put the employed in shops, factories and privato enterprise down at 'east another 20,000, making 61,000. The State has employed 18,000 more sine© Labour assumed office, including public works. Therefore, my official returns show that employment has been foimd for 79,000 that were unemployed N'hen Labour took office. If wo still have unemployed, it would not be exaggerates when I say,there were 100,000 unemployed, not 35,000 as Mr. Hamilton saia, when we took office."