UNEMPLOYMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11653, 18 October 1923, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT

WHAT BRITAIN IS DOING. BIG WORKS INITIATED. Reuter’s Teleemra. LONDON, October 16. Sir Montague Barlow, Minister of Labour, at a luncheon in Ixmdon, repudiated the charge that the Government had broken faith in regard to unemployment relief. On the contrary, new expenditure initiated by the Government comprised £14,000,000 for the construction of roads and bridge?, in addition to £10,000,000 to assist local authorities’ relief works, another £12,000,000 for trade development, and £10,000,000 for the reconstruction programmes of railway companies. EMIGRATION PLANS.

The Government expected much help from the Imperial Economic Conference in respect to the redistribution of manpower, and tlie strengthening, and organisation of markets. He welcomed Sir Bruce’s unhesitating support of associations! settlement and expressed the opinion that every British centre ought to form a committee to take up land in the dominions for village settlements.

Sir William Joynson-Hicks, speaking at Hounslow' ou the question of unemployment, said that, in addition to the relief work already proceeding, the Cabinet had authorised a further expenditure of £14,000,000, making a total of approximately £40,000,000. GERMAN “DUMPING."

The large stock of iron and steel in the Ruhr waiting to be “dumped” at much below the British manufacturing price, he said, constituted a menace which it would be stupendous folly for the Government to allow. He foreshadowed the placing of orders fer tho reconstruction of 150 bridges in a few weeks, including the two-mile road bridge across the Tay at Dundee, costing nearly £1,000,000. He said they saw an immediate possibility of placing orders totalling £2,500,000* with tho steel trade. THE “DOLE SYSTEM” RUINATION OF CHARACTER. Australian, ami N 7.. Cable Association. LONDON, October 16. Mr J. H. Thomas, the Labour leader, speaking at St. Pancras. denounced tho "miserable assumption” that unemployment could bo cured by doles. A hundred thousand men had "not come to a day’s work since they finished their apprenticeship, They * bad lost not only their trade, but their characters.