UNEMPLOYMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18543, 2 May 1922, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS. THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION. DUTY OF LOCAL BODIES. (P«* United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 1. A deputation from the Central Progress League interviewed Mr Massey, the Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister cf Public Works), and the Hen. G. J. Anderson .Minister of Labour) regarding unemployment. Mr G. Mitchell, M.P., said they believed unemployment had become more acute during the last few weeks. At his office there was a continual stVeam of men looking for work. Unfortunately a number of these were immigrants. They were not registering as they should. There had been no work for some time. It appeared desirable that there should be one central bureau for registration so that they might know how many men they had to deal with. He thought it would be wise to stop all immigration until they had a definite policy of land settlement, public works, development of mining or secondary industries, and then bring out only men who were suitable. A lot of the men who were coming ouf were quite unfitted for the country. Some, were trying to get back to Great Britain, and were disgruntled. That would do New Zealand no good. The Prime Minister: That will bo the experience everywhere. Mr Mitchell most of these people and the unemployed from the country were flocking to the towns, and thus creating an undesirable position. So far as he could gather there were 500 fit men out of work in Wellington, not including men registered with the R.S.A.

The Prime Minister said it was a great mistake'to think that the Government had done nothing up to the present to find work for the unemployed. At the present time its efforts in this direction were costing not less than £250,000 a year. On April 50 last year there were 4570 men employed on public works, and this year at the same date there were 5455, almost 10C0 of an increase. Mr Coates: With more to go on. We have to absorb returned soldiers we have promised to take on. The Prime Minister said the Government had found work for 1105 unemployed, including 241 at Stratford, 871 at Wellington, and 256 at Dunedin. The Labour Department registers showed 1174 men now out of work. He did not have the particulars of the works where it was proposed to put on the men. but he washed to say the Government had to be sure that it did not waste' the country’s money. Ho thought the local bodies in New Zealand should do more than they were doing. Most of the larger local bodies had recently raised loans, and they should be able to use some of that money during the -winter, _ . Immigration, the Prime Minister continued, difficult subject to deal with. The last - big immigrant ship 'had now arrived, and there would be only small bodies of immigrants until the spring. New Zealand had a duty to perform to her fellow citizens in the ‘Old World, and could not close her doors entirely to them. Great Britain was now experiencing very great difficulties with 2.000,000 unemployed. He did not think New Zealand had lost, by the immigration that had taken place up to the present. On the whole the immigrants were of a good class, and every immigrant helped to create more work in the country and to bear the country’s debt. Mr Mitchell: If they are wealth creators. Mr Massey:, Every industrious man is a Wealth creator.. They are not all unemployed. He was not finding fault with the Wellington City Council, but he thought some of the local bodies would nave to do more to find employment. Private individuals had difficulties, especially in the country districts, but the position was nnproving. The Minister of Public Works gave some information as to the details of employment policy’. The Paekakanki, and Rinrutaka roads were important, works. The Rirmltaka deviation could not be taken up till the surveys now being made were completed. They had to cohsider, however, whether it was more urgent to improve existing linos or to provide means of access to such country as that between Raetihi and Wanganui, where a lot of Jana had been taken up.'and there were no communications, It was much better to send men to more urgent works than to put in hand works of lesser urgency near at hanci. He did not hold that it was the Government’s duty to find employment for every v man who was out of work. Private em--1 ployers also had a duty to see that a man had food apt! a chance to find Other work when they put him off. There was some discussion as to the accuracy of Mr Mitchell’s estimate of 500 unemployed. The Minister held that this was wide of the mark It was stated that another 100 able-bodied men coukl bo taken on shortly, and work could be found for a few others in forestry.