UNEMPLOYMENT

Otago Witness, Issue 3522, 13 September 1921, Page 22

UNEMPLOYMENT

RELIEF MEASURES IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, September 5. Ways and means for assisting the unemployed were discussed at a meeting of local M. P.’s to-day, and it was decided to approach the Acting Prime Minister with a request that the Government should sanction the City Council raising up to £ISOO by a short dated loan for relief works. It was also resolved to ask the citizens for voluntary contributions for relief funds. It was suggested that the date of the loan be one year, and that, it authority be granted the money be raised locally*. RELIEF FUNDS. AUCKLAND, September 7. The unemployment relief fund established at Auckland six weeks ago for the benefit of those unable to procure work has been the means of alleviating a considerable amount of genuine distress. About half the total of the fund, which amounted to about £I2OO, has been expended, and it is expected that the balance will about see the unemployed difficulty to an end. TIIE PROPOSED WELLINGTON LOAN. WELLINGTON September 7. The Mayor (Mr R. A. Wright, M.P.) interviewed Sir Francis Bell (Acting Prime Minister) to-day regarding the proposed £15,000 unemployment relief loan. Sir Francis Hell said that the proposal was a bad precedent, but he was willing to introduce legislation to permit, the raising of such a loan. The Mayor proposes to levy- a special rate in order to repay tile loan. DEPUTATION TO SIR FRANCIS BELL. WELLINGTON, September 9. A deputation from the Alliance of Labour Unemployment Conference met the Ministers to-day, those present being Sir Francis Bell, the Hon. \V. Nosworthy, Sir Ilea ton Rhodes, and the Hon. \A . Downie Stewart. The speakers were Mr M. J. Mack (chairman of the Alliance of Labour), Mr W. Young (secretary of the Seamen’s Union), and Mr Armstrong (Christchurch). The deputation said that assisted immigration was resulting in an increase of unemployment. The suggestions .made were that an unemployment bureau should be opened everywhere in the country. Upon registration each man should be given useful employment or an unemployment wage. To finance this the deputation suggested the betterment of the land tax or a levy on accumulated capital, and the establishment of a State bank. Mr Armstrong suggested reduced hours. Replying to the deputation with reference to unemployment, Sir Francis Bell said: “Frankly, 1 ant very disappointed. I was asked to meet the representatives of the men, and you are representative men on matters of unemployment. 1 thought we might ha ve had a real conference and an interchange of views. I do not in the least challenge the right of gentlemen to meet us and take up the attitude that has, I think, been adopted of making addresses io the public rather than the Government. That is where I have been disappointed; but, of course, 1 accept it, and desire to meet you on that basis, and try to show that :.he Government is not without a policy, and has some sense of the position and is endeavouring to meet it in the way it thinks fit. They had a perfect right to say that the Government was wrong and to put the Government out; but while the Government was in office it would consider and welcome suggestions, but its business was to decide questions and to govern.’ With regard to public works and the public service that during the period of depression the Government, at- a great financial strain, had employed all the men possible on public works, anti had retained in the public service ail civil servants, including temporary hands. “That is the way the Government endeavoured to meet an emergency,” lit said, “and 1 really do not think it is fair not to recognise that, and to j allege that some way or other the Government reduced the number of its employees, in the oaso oi gorse-grlibbing it was put before- tho Government here and in other centres that men were being thrown out ol private employment who were incapable of | heavy physical work, and light work had to be provided for them.” Air D. Fraser said she Government grant to the Giiy Council was made on Cunuitioii that tho money was spent on afforestation. Sir Francis Bell said that a request was made by the members of Parliament that : money was required to provide work for ! those incitpabi ■ of heavy labour, and to | ensure that- the money should be used for j rids purpose a condition was attached. I "As long us I am a member of Govern - i ment,” continued tho Minister, “I will | not admit the principle that the ovurnj merit should find employment for men unI employed in every locality, any more than | I will” admit that .the Government should I find houses for every one; all over the do--1 minion. I do not quarrel with the people who hold these views, but 1 do not want | to have any miaunderst a tiding of the views j of myself and my colleagues." lie would not. admit that wherever there were slumps that the Government should be expected to clear tilings up, any more t lau lie would add that tho Government should go poking its nose in and offer money to provide employment. It was the function ] of the local authority to see that the j people in the hvalily were well governed. | It was only when a general question arose, i such as was caused by the collapse of ! produce prices, ihat- the Government had

a duty to make some general provision, so that it would be possible for localities io do their duty in tnis respect. Inn had been. He did not think they knew how much had been done. Notwithstanding the difficulty ol providing money for public woiks tiie State Advances Department had been employing its funds largely in advance to smaller local authorities. Jhe reason wily there had not b; en a big amount of employment was that bur signs and counties had been employing labour with the money borrowed. i'ublic works had been continued, and new works initiated. iec Government had provided c-xtra works an i complaint had been made that they were cairiod on at a loss. lEdid not know what me Public Wo:!;.-; Department had agreed to, but he said that these works had no more to do with the I’ubiic Works Department t ban with the Department of Marine. For example, treeplanting was carried on under his control as Commissioner of Forestry. With the pi . si’ule exception of one or two works, such as the Akutarawa road, they were not even authorised by Parliament. They were no more public works, tinder the Public Works Department than they were ecclesiastical works under the Archbishop of Canterbury. They were initiated for the alleviation and mitigation of unemployment, Sir Francis said that he would not discuss a State Bank because it was a wide question. He did not think it would Jo any good to express his own views, and they would probably not tray any attention to them if he did. Unemployment was not so serious as had been stated. Air Young had been obliged to say for the purposes of his argument that many did not register at the Government Bureau. But even if they did not, The registrations were the only measure that'the Government could take. Those applications had never been largely in excess of normal. Air Mack: “There is no bureau in the King Country.” Sir Francis Bell said he quite believed that some men did not register, but the Government had to accept the bureau as a test of the position. There must be others outside, but there always wane. On September 5 the total unemployed were 1155, and for the previous week 1140. In one week 125 were placed in employment. Tt was not the same men who were out of work Mi the time, but the number remained about the same. Then there was always a percentage who did not want work, as they knew from their experience of offering jobs to men, paying their railway fares, and then bearing no more of them. Air Alack: “V* hat about displacing married men by single men because they are eligible for permanent employment?” Sir Francis Bell said he really could not say. It was certainly not the Government’s policy. “It might,” he said, “happen in one or two cases and there might be good reason for it, but if you ask me to believe that tho officers of the public service and the Railway Department are engaged in dismissing married men so ns to engage siri gle men, you could go on saying it for a hundred years, and I would not believe it. Y’ou surely don’t want me to believe that the officers referred to are a pack of heartless rogues. It is not, common sense to make such a statement.” He could novo make out what Mr Young meant to say, but what he thought he was aiming at was that the Government had broken its pledge to the soldiers. He did not think that was so; but if it were so he was sorry, and he would have it put right. THE POSITION IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, September 11. Regarding the subject of unemployment and the efforts which are being made to cope with the same, the Alayor (Air 11. A. Wright) says there is no question that the number of unemployed in Wellington is greater than is generally supposed, and quite a large proportion of the cases are most necessitous and deserving. “I find from the inquiries made at the Town Hall,” said Air Wright, “ that the men would far rather work than accept, charitable aid. They are anxious to enrn money, and therefore the immediate needs of raising sufficient money to provide employment are evident. lam strongly appealing to the citizens to support the effort which is being made by the Civic League to raise funds. It is difficult to ascertain just how many men are out of employment at the moment. A conservative estimate seems to fix the number at about 500, but possibly the fig! ire is greater than that, if the citizens respond to the appeal it will enable the corporation to proceed at once to employ as many men as funds will allow.” “ While it' is true that the council has authorised the raising of £25,000 for works already sanctioned by the ratepayers, which money can be raised quickly, yet it will be some time before these works are surveyed and prepared for the employment of labour ” LOCAL POSITION UNCHANGED. The local position in regard to unemployment: has undergone no change, the Mayor (Air J. ,S. Douglas) having on liis list the names of some 68 married men who are out of work. Respecting the proposals made for the widening of the Look-out Point road, the Hon. J. G. Coates (Alinister of Public Works) has forwarded a reply to Air Douglas, stating that he has noted the further representations regarding this matter, and will give them early and careful consideration.