UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20101, 18 May 1927, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

AN AUCKLAND REPORT. VIEWS OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. (Special to Dail? Times.) AUCKLAND, May 17. The report of the special committee of the Auckland Chamber uf commerce set up to investigate unemployment summarises its conclusions as follows: That the increasing rate of unemployment in the Dominion was mainly due to unsound social, industrial and fiscal legislation, for the placing of which upon the Statute Book all political parties alike must accept responsibility. That unemployment with ever increasing severity might be expected to recur until legislation was reconsidered in the direction of restoring the freedom of contract _in the marketing of produce and the offering or acceptance of employment, subject to reft-, i afeiuurd- lor the t’oalth. safety and well-being of the wage earner. That unemployment was intensified by the present high rate of taxation. That there was need for a longer range, in the planning of public woncs The ovornnient could est lish closer tench with municipalities and other local bodies with a ' i .u ... ..i a roj ted schemes of improvement work, such as road rail and tram extensions, civic improvements and other projects of a public character. After registration such schemes could, in emergencies of unemployment,” be exnedited in order of urgency so that the amount of unemployment available might be adjusted to the amount of labour offering {unemployables excepted), always in mfnd that the prosecution of any public works of an unproductive character, likely to constitute a burden upon the public funds, should be avoided The provision of “relief works” in tho ordinary sense of the term was a thriftless expedient, expensive to the State and demoralising to the recipient, J and was in no sense a remedy. That there was need for more careful regulation of the volume of assisted immigration, since the present position wa bound to recur with added severity. That since all parties alike must accept the responsibility for placing on the Statute Book tho measures contributing to the present position, no political capital would be made out of a disclosure of the views expressed, and therefore it was the duty of the Chamber of Commerce to face the facts and impress their importance upon the Government by every means available.