UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3877, 3 July 1928, Page 25

UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM.

; EXAMINATION OF CAUSES. A CANTERBURY INVESTIGATION. CHRISTCHURCH, June 27. In an effort to determine the primary pauses of unemployment and \its extent pnd distribution an important conference pf representatives of local bodies in Canterbury was held in the Chamber of Commerce Hall this morning under the fiuspices of the Canterbury Progress peague. Professor A. -T". Tooker, of Canterbury College, opened the discus-. J - Strachan (president of (be league) was in the chair, arid there a re P resen tative’ attendance. The chairman said that i was a very peripus reflection on. the state ..of our pocial and commercial organisations that there were so’ many people who were unable to contribute to the - general welfare of the community and to earn sufficient money to support themselves. He was of opinion that unemployment was the result of a deep-seated maladjustment pf .the conditions of society. .professor Toeker said the figures phowed that unemployment was heaviest in Auckland, .lighter in Wellington, lighter still in Otago, arid lightest of all jn Canterbury. Unemployment could be helped by encouraging the mobility of labour and encouraging the farmers’ dejnand for labour. Much of the unemployment had been due to the general depression which was caused by the fall in export prices. . Personally he did not think the unemployment problem would last long over the winter. -A very considerable improvement should .be looked for soon. . The proportion of unskilled labour seemed .to be unduly high. The proportion was larger than we could parry permanently. Heavy local body expenditure after the war had attracted men to that type of work. Then, had followed contraction, and there was no work for th; men. . There was a difficulty in placing boys in industry. The system governing apprentices might be looked into. Prices were too rigid, and there jnust be greater attention to expansion of the farming industry. The wider introduction of machinery, into industry and , farming was a factor in unemployment. Normally speaking, immigration could not be called a cuse of unemployment. Immigration would increase • unemployment if large numbers came in when there was unemployment, but riot in normal times. Relief, works were uneconomic. To employ men on road improvement was productive, but beautifying work was not. He thought that too much stress had been placed on the worker’s right to a particular standard of living. The value of what the worker produced was an important consideration.

Mr J. C. Free (Southbridge) said that each part of the country should accept its share of the responsibility and look after the unemployed in its own district. The farmers of Canterbury had had a good season, and should be willing to help by supplying foodstuffs to men who were willing to work. The men who would not work ought to be arrested under the ' agrancy Act and sent to Paparua Prison, where they would be forced to work. His own district was prepared to assist the genuine unemployed, but he considered that they must get rid of the. agitators. Mr H. T. Armstrong, M.P., said he thought that if a little more attention were given to the idle rich more would be done towards the solution of the problem of the idle poor. Professor Tbcker did not offer a solution of the problem. Mr Armstrong said he believed that the solution of unemployment was to be found in the solution of the land problem. ' ’ 1 Mr Free moved that each county take a fair share with regard to rmemployment and appoint canvassers throughout the districts to collect produce and send it in. Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., said that nearly every farmer in the district had been circularised and. asked to state what assistance could be offered'. . Not one single offer of assistance had been received. . .. . Mr G. Maginness, clerk of the Paparua County Council, pointed out that there were nine vessels at Lyttelton recently. The majority of the vessels could not be worked because there was no labour offering, yet there were about 500 men looking for. work in Christchurch. They could not be employed because of the union. . . . ■„ Mr Sullivan: _ After the union men were employed others could be taken o'n. - • “ Then why were they not ? ” asked Mr Maginnes, who, concluded by saying that if unionism were wiped out the unemployment problem would be solved very largely. ' Mr Free’s , motion lapsed. Mr D. Bates moved that it be a recommendation to . the progress’, League that there be\a continuance of the con- ' ference and that in the meantiirie ? research . be " made into .the causes arid remedies of unemployment. ' The motion was carried. . QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. . A , LABOUR BOMBARDMENT. ‘ June That., the Labo'ur Party'• intends , to make-. unemployfnent its chief subject for attacking the Government this sea-

sion was. disclosed in the House of Representatives to-day, when Ministers were bombarded with a series of notices of questions beating on all phases of the position. The comment which was introduced in some of the questions prompted the Speaker to draw attention to the transgression of the rules relating to questions and to say that in many of them were matters of argument. Mr D. G. Sullivan (Avon) set the ball rolling by asking the Prime Minister if legislation. designed to create an unployment insurance fund would be introduced with the object of. relieving the position.

Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central) had several questions. He wanted to know if a committee of the House would be appointed to inquire into the conditions of work and pay on the unemployment relief works, and if the rates of pay. would be reviewed by the Government. He contended that in spite of the Prime Minister’s assurances on the subject a number of the men bn the relief works was not actually receiving the relief rates of 9s a day for single men and 12s a day for married men, and he asked if the Prime Minister would consult the Minister of Public. Works (Mr K. S. Williams) in order to ensure that “ even these meagre rates were paid.” “I think that I ought to point out that some of these questions contain arguments,” interjected the Speaker. Mr Fraser’s final question was whether the Government would recognise the right-to-work principle, and failing the provision of employment would it take steps to provide the men out of work with out-of-work pay. - A return showing the number of unemployed engaged by the Government departments and the average wages paid to single men and married men during the past three months was sought by Mr R. M'Keen (Wellington Central). RELIEF WORK IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, June 28. Over 200 men are now employed on relief works by the Wellington City Corporation. Of these, 114 are being employed by the city engineer’s department. Ninety men are also working under th« supervision of the director of parks. POSITION IN HAMILTON. HAMILTON, June 28. More liberal relief will be afforded the Hamilton unemployed, the Borough Council haying decided that the fortnightly periods of employment shall be broken by only a week’s interval instead of a fortnight’s idleness as -hitherto. The Mayor (Mr Fow) said that some of the relief workers supported a family of six, and felt the pinch severely. The engineer recommended a reduction in the period of idleness, but opposed continuous relief work, as the interval gave men an opportunity to seek other employment.

WORK FOR 150 MEN. WELLINGTON, June 28. It is announced that the necessary arrangements have been made to place in employment an additional 150 men in the South Island. Of this total 100 will be taken on by the Public Works Department in Christchurch, and 50 will be given work by the department in Dunedin. The necessary instructions have been sent to the local offices and the men will be engaged at once. RELIEF WORKS. CITY COUNCIL’S PROGRAMME. At last week’s meeting of the City Council, the Mayor said he had been supplied by the city engineer with a report showing the number of men employed on relief works. In the Works Department the men employed were as under:—-Pine Hill road, near George’ street, six labourers and two drivers; Cemetery road, at Opoho road, three labourers and two drivers; Cannington road, west end, 10 labourers; Queen’s drive, approach to Driver’s road, six labourers and two drivers; Alva street and Stafford street, 11 labourers; Aberdeen road and Ravensbourne road, 10 labourers and one driver; —total, 46 labourers, seven drivers. Water Department.—Ross Creek reservoir, improvements at intake, 20 labourers. Drainage Board.—Bay View road, Surrey .street, and Macandrew road storm .water sewers, nine labourers. The total number of men at present m employment is 82. It is anticipated that during the next fortnight the following additional men may be taken on:—Works Department, five labourers and one driver; Drainage Board, 12 labourers; Waipori, six labourers.