GOVERNMENT LABOUR EXCHANGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1847, 15 April 1887, Page 22

GOVERNMENT LABOUR EXCHANGE.

The success of the newly-eetablisbed Government Labour Exchange wil. largely depend upon the energy, of the Executive and the cooperation obtained from the police, in the country districts, who are expected to act -in. some sort as agents for the Bureau. , We must confess to a distrust of the efficiency of work, which is.; not, specifically paid for,- though now that there is, so little immigration , work Mr Colin Allan must have plenty of -time, on: his, hands to devote to hisjiew duties.; . The .idea of the Exchange, which, the, Government, owe, to Mr Reynolds, is a good one; for there is ,a,; great deal. v-tov -to be done towards the better- distribution of labour whichr. the, private, exchanges cannot. do, and.we.suspect that the Government, will- nqt trench much upon the field already,. occupied by private enterprise. The great work which the Exchange ought to attempt is that of distributing the "unemployed through the country, and . diminishing the congesion of labour in the towns. , If it is properly supplied with information,, it should : be ; able,. to be, of considerable use . in this direction during ' the coming winter There is_pften work to be obtained in country districts which is not .of sufficient importance, to make it worth the employer's while to" apply to- the private .labour .ex-, changes, though he would be 'glad to- get it done if the labour, offered itself. < And there is also work which it is not worth the while of employers to do afc current rates of wages, j but which they . would ,do if the abour could: be obtained more cheaply. The | new Exchange and its officials should watch I for opportunities of this; kind. .11 would indeed be a boon^ to the Colony if any considerable portion of the " unemployed " j could be found, work with private employers instead of being paid by the Government for j doing work which is generally of little use and which tends to pauperise them.