UNEMPLOYMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 38

UNEMPLOYMENT.

APPEAL FROM AUCKLAND. EMPLOYEES BEING DISMISSED. AUCKLAND, February 1. Mr W. J. Jordan, M.P., telegraphed to the Minister of Railways to-day as follows: —“Unemployment is aggravated by notice of dismissal given to-day to some employees in the Newmarket Railway. Workshops. Two 1914 soldiers have been dismissed, notwithstanding that the Prime Minister telegraphed to. me on March 31 last stating that married men and exsoldiers would be given preference. Private employers are discharging their employees, and immigrants are landing by hundreds. ' The responsibility rests on the Government to find work, otherwise it will be responsible for the serious trouble which will surely occur next winter. I suggest that the State advances loans be expedited, as the building trades are very slack.” • POSITION ~IN CHRISTCHURCH. RECOMMENDATIONS TO GOVERNMENT. CHRISTCHURCH, February 2. The representatives of various local bodies and organisations met to-day to discuss the present .unemployment position. The Mayor (the Rev. J. K. Archer), who presided, said the position -was both urgent and serious. Not only was the question of finding work concerned, but also of human life itself, and character, because the stress of looking up and down

the country for employment undermined manhood. Previously unemployment was only temporary, but now, instead jf bein; acute, it was becoming chronic. He was sure that during the past winter the difficulty was aggravated by immigration. He had recently been informed that there were 30,000 fewer men employed on the l_nd than in 1914. If such were the case it constituted the whole of the unemployment problems. Sufficient work could be put in hand to absorb all the unemployed. Mr W. E. Lcadley moved the following motion: —

Believing that the problem of unemployment can i e solved only by the establishment of a permanent Dominion scheme for providing employment for the workless, this conference requests the Government to call a Dominion unemployment conference as early as possible, the delegates to this conference to'consist of three representatives from each of the four large centres, together with representatives of the Public Works Department, the Labour Department, and the State Forestry Department, the order of reference for this conference to be: “To consider ways and means of establishing a permanent Dominion scheme for providing work for the unemployed during those Keaso. . of the year when unemployment is most acute, to take all the necessary steps to put such a scheme into operation before next winter,” Mr Leadiey urged that afforestation should be taken up by local bodies as a solution of the unemployment problem, and suggested the setting up of an unemployment board in the Dominion. Mr E. H. Marriner (Canterbury - _uufacturers’ Association) said that in four years the number of primary employees in the Dominion had increased by 9000. The population had increased by 8 pel cent,, but the exports by only 3 per cent. Many industries were unable to employ the nuriibcr of men they should, and the imports were increasing at 100 per cent, more than tho population, Such a position was not, conducive to making employment. Mr H. T. Armstrong, M.P., said he objected to the policy of misrepresentation adopted by the Government to entice people to emigrate to New Zealand. Mr J. M'Combs, M.P., moved: That the meeting express its disapproval of the Government’s assisted immigration scheme. It was decided to set un a committee to discuss the -matters and, further, to report to another meeing, and also to consider Mr M’Combs’s motion. Mr Leadley’s motion was carried.

THE MAYOR S ADVICE. CHRISTCHURCH, February 3. The Mayor to-day advised the unemployed to keep politics out of their demands for work, and not to send their wives to ask for relief from the Hospital Board. Mr Archer spoke to about 30 unemployed who waited on him, and asked for. immediate relief. RAILWAY WORKERS. WELLINGTON, February 3. Recently the Railways Department deemed it necessary to serve notices of dismissal on a number of employees in various parts of the Dominion. In view of the reports regarding the seriousness of the unemployment situation in some of the larger centres, the matter was taken up by th© Railways Tradesmen’s Association, representatives of which yesterday waited on the Acting-Minister'of Railways (the Hon. F. J. Rolleston) with a request that the dismissal of the men should be deferred until (he return of the Prime Minister. ' ■ Mr Coates is due to arrive in Wellington by the Makura on February 14, and Mr Rolleston ' stated to-day that in the meantime action in regard to dismissing the men would be deferred.