UNEMPLOYMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17180, 10 February 1930, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT

SOME OF ITS CAUSES CONFERENCE NEEDED A frank discussion in the press is bound to be helpful, as the. only way »» which any great problem can be solved is to rouse, public opinion. The greatest obstacle to a solution is the fact that this grave question has been made the shuttlecock of political partv manoeuvring. The. Socialist parlies'have looked on it as a godsend, when in opposition, as a choice weapon against the Government in olice. When these exploiters of the unemployed gam the Government benches, as in England, thev have no .solution to offer, and have so far changed their tune, that Messrs. Suowden anil Thomas have recently been expressing opinions which might have been, and indeed were put forward by Air. Baldwin. We say, therefore, that no solution can be. found until this problem is divorced from party politics. In most discussions it seems to have been taken, for granted that this is a new problem and a result of modern conditions, whereas it is age old. The ancient Greeks and Romans had to. face it. the French were "up against it some 80 years ago, and in each case it was proved quickly that State interference, bv the provision of special works, was useless ; yet we are still trying this absurd policy. Temporary measures, as Mr. Thomas says, are futile; we must try to ascertain'the root causes and deal With it .as an economic question. IMPROVED TRADE NECESSARY. Mr. Baldwin has always urged that an improvement in trade, and industry is the onlv lasting solution. Messrs. Suowden arid Thomas now especially emphasise this fact; therefore it must help to lind out what is retarding the recovery of the Empire • trade. Though not conclusive, this would at least take us a little way towards a solution. One of the gravest handicaps to n reviva] is the heavy burden imposed by taxation—you cannot take money necessary for development out of industry without starving it ; vet this is exactly what is being done to-day in England and New Zealand—we are gradually consuming our national capital and starving our productive industries. SAPPING OCR SELF-RELIANCE. The system which has been growing up of late years (no party is exempt from blame)' of giving "something for nothing" has now reached alarming proportions. Old age and widows' pensions, poor law relief, unemployment benefits, free education, and other "social services" now cost England over £400,000,001,! a year, or sonic £3 15s per head. In New Zealand these have glowll in 10 years from iJ2 12s 2d lo £4 I,os 5.1 per head ; in France they only amount to 13s. and in Italy to 5s 6d per head. This is mostly unproductive: it is taking away from industry money'required for expansion, and therefore it is significant to note that while England and New Zealand, have grave unemployment and .struggling industries. France and Italy have no unemployment and a growing trade. This policy is sapping the self-reliance of the nation. Mr. Showden sees this, for he recently warned his followers that "the most dangerous and most menacing feature of the present- time was a desire to get something for nothing—unless wo develop a greater sense of individual responsibility our reforms will establish a pauper State." We have only touched on the fringe of this big problem, and believe its most likely solution lies in adopting the Gov-ernor-General's proposal for a conference of workers, employers, economic and financial experts to frankly discuss every phase. This, however, can only succeed if "all the cards are put on the table," if a genuine, spirit of mutual concession is displayed, so that all artificial restrictions on output, whether by Capital orLabor, are removed, and, lastly, 'bv the elimination of political, sectional, or t heoretical considerations.—(Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare 'League.)