UNEMPLOYMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19844, 17 July 1926, Page 19

UNEMPLOYMENT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,—Under the above heading in the middle portion of your issue of this morning you show' that there are to date considerably over 300 men idle, but very little work offering. Now, even although it is the winter season, there is absolutely no reason whatever why any man should be out of work, and 1 would like to suggest that our Citizens’ Relief Committee could not do better than, working in conjunction with the Government, acquire all the available hill country throughout Otago and Southland suitable for treeplanting, and set to work without delay to increase the work of tho State Forestry Service to the benefit of the unemployed of to-day and to that of the public generally in, say, another 20 years’ time. Even although it may mean a hardship to the married men to be away from home during a time of financial depression such as the present, that cannot be avoided. There is no reason whatever why some hundreds of men could not be employed beneficially to the State in afforestation work. Married men could be allowed, say, £1 per week extra when away from home.—l am, etc., G. S. Thomson. Opoho, July 15.