UNEMPLOYMENT

Southland Times, Issue 20791, 4 June 1929, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT

INTERESTING IDEA COMPANY SHOULD BE FORMED ■ USE FOR SURPLUS LABOUR To the Editor. Sir, —I suppose it is outside of the usual sphere of activities of the editor of a paper to undertake the flotation of a company, but 1 wish to. suggest to you that you should make an exception of the proposed company which I now bring before your notice. The capital of the company should not be less than £5009 and would be on a more lasting basis if £lO,OOO could be secured. The prospectus would set forth that during each year of its existence a very considerable loss would be sustained, and in a matter of a few years the capital of the company would be lost. The object of the company would be to arrange the utilization of surplus labour to the very best advantage. There would require to be a paid manager and I suggest that Government offices should be available, rent free. Expenditure would have to be made on equipments in the form of tents, tools, and transport vehicles. The manager of the company would enter into contracts with farmers, public bodies, and private individuals, for carrying out works where the maximum of labour is required with a minimum of mechanical appliances. Ditching, draining, hedge-cutting, road-making should come within the sphere of activities, and no doubt, clearing of land could also be included. The company would enter into contracts and would extend payment where necessary to enable the customer to have work done immediately during these winter months when work is scarce, and make payment at a convenient time, say three to four months later. The manager would require to keep books keeping a record of each man in the company’s employ, and would refuse work to a man who had left other work needlessly. Those who gave satisfactory results would be given new work as soon as possible. Those workers who did not make the most of their opportunities and who were otherwise unsatisfactory, would be on the bottom of the list for re-employment. Married men would be given preference, and only those w’ho were in Southland at the time of the flotation of the company would be considered eligible for employment. Those who were not efficient at the particular class of work on which they were placed would be taught by an efficient foreman. Those engaging the services of these men would not run the risk of losing by the employment of inefficient labour—this loss W'ould be borne by the company as work would be done by contract. The directors of the company would be found in the Chamber of Commerce, Borough Council, Government Labour Department etc. I suggest that by this mean monies collected would last, very much longer, and the expenditure would achieve a great deal more than in the methods adopted in the past. The work carried out would be of value. The operation of the company would cease immediately the demand for labour absorbed the majority of the labour available, and-would recommence whenever the labour problem became serious. It is unnecessary to point out that the Government find that the task is greater than they can provide money for, the Borough Council have found that the funds at their disposal are totally inadequate, and money is being spent on work which has to be looked for, and in many cases would not be carried out at all under ordinary circumstances. . You remember when some time ago his Worship the Mayor had money available for expenditure he almost had to create work before he could find the means of employing the men. If you start to criticize the above suggestion you will find it very easy to point out. innumerable flaws and drawbacks. The onlv answer I have is that if you can find a better way by all means discard the above proposals. In the meantime as far as I am aware there is no workable suggestion at present under consideration, and the above scheme poor though it may be, is better than none. . , • t n-i. The above is merely an idea in brief. The working out of fhe operations of the company would require a great deal of thought and’ this can be done if the proposal finds tentative approval from yourself.—l am, etc., g L The Scheme Criticized.’ At the request of our correspondent this letter was referred to Mr John Gilkison for his comment. Mr Gilkison said that he was very diffident in making any statement regarding such a problem as unemployment. It should, however, be clear to all that the cause of unemployment was not located in Invercargill nor in Southland, but was a national problem. Any local measures of relief should be borne by the province as a whole, not merely by the ratepayers of Invercargill. He assumed that the correspondent in making his suggestion intended opening a subscription list which would provide the capital necessary to carry out the scheme. The cash contributors would no doubt elect directors or organizers as in the case of an ordinary company. That seemed the soundest way for the man who paid the money should call the tune, hollowing on the enlistment of funds the directors would no doubt canvass the whole district for suitable work for unskilled labour Mr Gilkison stated that one farmer had told him that he was prepared to fell 200 acres of bush with unemployed labour. There were manv acres of gorse on the road line which the County Councils could seriously consider clearing at the expense of the adjoining owner. With the assistance of the county engineers there should be little difficulty in finding useful work for unemployed labour. The committee set up by the Mayor of Invercargill was to meet next Thursday evening and no doubt the scheme suggested by the correspondent, would then be fully considered.