WORK FOR ALL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19880, 6 March 1939, Page 3

WORK FOR ALL

MINISTER'S ASSURANCE APPEAL FOR EEFORT ABSORBING SCHEME 13 MEN An appeal for workers to put their weight into their jobs, not to slack and by so doing stab their own Government in the back, was made by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. f. c, Webb, in an address at Whangarei. His appeal was made more especially to men employed on subsidised worn out he stated that officers m some departments of State were loafing and the costs were going up when they snould not, while in oilier departments the officers were all pulling their weight. "The men on scheme 13 do not have to worry about their job," said tiltMinister. "Your job will not leave you. At present between 14,000 and 15,000 men are employed under this scheme by local authorities, while another 1100 are employed on playing areas and school grounds. When the social security scheme is operative L rom April 1. 7000 to 8000 of these men will receive superannuation benefits; of the remainder, a number will be absorbed in local industries. The Government will see that work is provided for the other men. II will see that local authorities employ the men who cannot find outside employment, and the Government will assist the local authorities. There will not be a dole." Referring to importation of skilled labour, the Minister said this had been found necessary if the programme of work was to proceed. "We may have to import unskilled labour if our policy of encouraging local industries succeeds, as we think it will," said Mr. Webb. "There will be work for all, and the men who produce will share in the results o'i their industry. The Government will manipulate the taxation machine in such a maimer as to bring this about."