THE RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22999, 30 September 1936, Page 6

THE RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYMENT

xo the Editor. Sir,—From time to time I have been reading in the columns of your paper about the good and generous work which Mr Semple, Minister of Public Works, and Mr Armstrong, Minister pf Employment, are doing. They are boasting about the way in which they are solving the unemployment difficulty and about the benefit that is being conferred on the workers in general. Now everyone who reads the papers must agree that unemployment, both senior and junior, is increasing every day. It would be a good thing if these two generous Ministers could see that to solve unemployment 50-50 is the right and proper thing to do—not, as they are doing, robbing Peter to pay Paul. Mr Semple has mentioned that men on Public works were receiving £1 3s per day. How many are getting that? There are hundreds of Public Works Union men standing idle to-day in want of work, but they have at present to be satisfied with sustenance payment. Even under the old Unemployment Labour Bureau system, when wages were 10s a day. everyone who was able to work had something to do and was paid according to the number of bis dependents. If that system were carried out to-day and if everyone that was willing and able received work for two days and a-half a week instead of one-half of the number getting five days a week while the rest h&ve to be satisfied with loitering about and doing the best they can on sustenance, then the unemployment trouble would be solved for the time being until such time as more works are opened out. —I am, etc., Central Otago. Sept. 26. Falrplay.