IDLE WORKERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23599, 7 March 1940, Page 10

IDLE WORKERS

CRITICS IN BRITAIN GOVERNMENT REPLY USE IN NEW FACTORIES By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, March r. Criticising the high level of unemployment in Britain as shown in figures announced yesterday by the Minister of Labour, Mr. Ernest Brown, Lord Strabolgi said in the House of Lords that Germany's mobilisation of workers and her use of slave labour in Czecho-Slovakia were a challenge to Britain. The great idle army of Britain, numbering 1,300,000, was, and must be, disquieting and provided material for enemy propaganda. The tempo of the Government's efforts was too slow, in spite of the need lor increased production to meet war requirements and avoid inflation, lie added. It was estimated that the unemployed actually increased by 500,000 last year.

Maldistribution of Labour There were about 600,000 registered workers available for immediate reemployment and 400.000 business and professional people were workless. This was due to the maldistribution of labour. Karl Stanhope, Lord Privy Seal, replying for the Government after the debate, says a British Official Wireless message, declared that when all new factories which had been contracted for were completed he had not the slightest doubt that the additional labour that would be required would exceed the total number now unemployed.

Agricultural Workers Referring to the position of agriculture, Lord Stanhope said that, out of 30,000 applications to join the land armthe number who actually enrolled on January 1 was 16,650. Of 4200 volunteers who had completed four to eight weeks' training, about 2000 were now in agricultural employment. A further 250 were placed in employment, but had since resigned and a further 550 resigned after training. Of the remaining, 1400 half had returned to non-agricultural worl%until they were actually wanted on the land.

DROP IN WORKLESS

SMALLER THAN EXPECTED LIMITATION OF HOURS British Wireless LONDON, March 5 Some surprise is expressed by the press at the continued high figure of unemployment announced by the Minister of Labour, Mr. Ernest Brown. Proper consideration is given to what the Times describes as a " paralysing spell on much outdoor work" resulting from the exceptionally severe winter weather.

The Labour Minister was so impressed by the small reduction 0f'15,000 in the number of unemployed given by the first count taken on February 12 that he decided to take a second count a fortnight later, when the figures showed a fall of 200.000. The Times says that although these figures are more reassuring, they are still not those which official optimism had expected. The related question of granting permission to women and young persons to work overtime in making munitions and in some other industries is discussed ill the light of the Home Office report published in a White Taper. Although the extension of hours of work of women from 48 in a week reached 60 in some cases at the beginning of the war, the maximum has since been reduced in almost every case to a figure not exceeding 57 for women and young persons over 16. Orders authorising extended hours had been made in respect of 2459 factories, but the hours authorised are often shorter than those applied tor and sometimes application is relused altogether.