THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1931. WHERE THERE’S A WILL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21362, 16 June 1931, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1931. WHERE THERE’S A WILL.

The Government must find a way out of the difficulty that is consequent on the exhaustion of the moneys at the disposal of the Unemployment Board. Upon that point there is no room for any difference of opinion. Public feeling throughout the whole Dominion has been profoundly stirred by the announcement that the Unemployment Board will be obliged to suspend, from Saturday next, the operation of the scheme under which, with the assistance of local authorities, work is being provided for thousands of men in all parts of New Zealand. With the fullest confidence it may be asserted that everywhere the prevailing ment is that the calamity of the suspension of this scheme must be averted. It was not surprising to learn last week that the Unemployment Board had reached, or was rapidly reaching, the end of its resources. It was obvious that it could not for long go on paying out considerably more, than was coming in to it. No gift of prophecy was required to enable one to see that it was absolutely necessary that fresh funds to a substantial amount would have to be provided for the Board to admit of its discharging the task which has been entrusted to it. This necessity should have been recognised during the emergency session of Parliament and steps should then have been taken to guard against the possibility of any collapse of the Unemployment Board’s undertaking during the short recess before the reassembling of Parliament. Evidently the Government failed unaccountably at that time to appreciate the reality of the difficulties of finance with which the Board was confronted. There is all the greater reason why it should not fail at the present time to ensure that there shall be no 'interruption in the operation of the Board’s scheme. Parliament will meet only five days after the date on which, according to the Prime Minister’s announcement of last week, the operation of No. 5 scheme will have to be suspended. If Parliament were in session, there would be no question of the suspension of the scheme. Members would simply not tolerate the closing of an avenue through which relief is being rendered to thousands of men for whom othex*wise there would be no opportunity of providing, at least in some measure, the means of subsistence for their wives and families. It would be nothing short of a tragedy if, merely because five days intervene between; Saturday next and the opening of the next parliamentary session, the whole of the machinery under which local relief works are being conducted were thrown out of gear and if those who arc depending on the smooth working of it were deprived of the help that means so very much to them. Even if there is no statutory authority under which (lie funds of the Unemployment Board may be replenished, there are other expedients that may be adopted, and the Government mav rest assured

that Parliament will not hesitate to validate any device to which it may have recourse for the prevention o£ the calamity of a break-down of the relief measures. Where there is a will there is generally a way, and, as the Government must be credited in this instance with the possession of the will to overcome the difficulty, the country will rely upon it to discover the appropriate way to do so.