UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18386, 2 May 1934, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

AN AUCKLAND REPORT MANY RECOMMENDATIONS SUSTENANCE PAYMENTS (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. After nearly five months’ consideration, a committee set up by a conference of locaL bodies and others interested lias submitted a report on unemployment. It declares that the present system of relief is not satisfactory, and not in the community’s best interests, and recommends that the unemployed, pending their reabsorption into industry, should bo granted! a sustenance payment on the scale laid down in the original Act of 1930, and throughout the whole period of their disemployment. Steps should ho taken to restore trade union conditions and constructive work should be carried out at standard rates of pay. As it seems impossible to find employment for all workers in land development, a place must be found for a great number of unemployed in secondary industries. Full advantage should be taken of the most modern machinery in all industries and hours of labor adjusted in accordance with the amount of labor displaced by machines. An economic land settlement policy should be inaugurated on the lines of •village and group settlement and new industries established! to absorb boys and girls leaving school. The committee declares that the first step towards recovery is to increase the purchasing power, which can be done by finding useful and profitable work in primary and secondary industries, and recommends an immediate economic survey to determine wliat are the possibilities of maintaining or improving the standard of living for the people of New Zealand, apart from the exchange of produce overseas. To give immediate relief locally, the committee recommended the issue of municipal credit notes to the amount of 25 per cent, of the ordinary expenditure of the municipal authorities. It strongly urged that Parliament should hold a special session, or devoto the greater part of the next session to unemployment.