UNEMPLOYMENT

Southland Times, Issue 21198, 26 September 1930, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT

DEBATE ON BILL ENDS POSTPONEMENT AMENDMENT DEFEATED 20 VOTES TO 9 (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, September 25. Resuming the debate on the Unemployment Bill in the Legislative Council this afternoon, the Hon. R. Scott said that he had a strong objection to several clauses in the Bill and would therefore vote against it. He expressed the opinion that primary producers should have two representatives on the board. The success of the scheme would depend very largely on the local committees as it would be impossible for the board to keep in touch with the unemployed in distant parts. The Hon. C. J. Carrington said that people were looking to the State for more and more assistance every time they landed themselves in trouble. New Zealand today was lacking in leadership. It was high time that they tried to encourage the spirit of self-reliance. The Hon. W. H. Mclntyre spoke of the value of encouraging local industries. Despite its weakness he would support the Bill. The Hon. D. Buddo said that the idea of the dole had so got into people’s minds that they overlooked that the Bill provided for an insurance ' scheme. Surely it was better to have the system of insurance than the present system of charitable aid. The Hon. E. W. Alison supported the amendment and said that the passing of the Bill would be seriously detrimental to the best, interests of the Dominion. He did not approve of the constitution of the board. , .

The Hon. J. A. Hanan said that never before had Parliament had before it such a baffling problem. He was supporting the Bill. A man out of employment was in a state of mind when he could very easily become infected by revolutionary ideas.

At five o’clock the Council adjourned and resumed at 8 o’clock.

Continuing, Mr Hanan said that the principle involved in the Unemployment Bill was not new. He defended the composition of the board and said that there was ample justification for the inclusion of a Minister of the Crown. The Hon. L. M. Isitt said that he saw in the Bill certain things which he did not like, but he. had no hesitation in voting for the measure, however. It was hardly possible to frame a perfect Bill. The Hon. R. Moore expressed the opinion that the Council was justified in throwing out the Bill as it would only create fresh evils.

Replying to the debate, the Leader of the Council (the Hon. R. Masters) said that the Bill had gone through the House without division. He defended the constitution of the board and said that it was better for the State to find work for the workless than to provide charitable aid for those who were unable to find work. The division which was reached at 10.15 p.m., resulted in the defeat of the Hon. W. Earnshaw’s amendment by 20 votes to 9. DIVISION LIST. For (20). Against (9). R. Masters E. W. Alison Sir James Allen W. Earnshaw Sir Francis Bell D. T. Fleming D. Buddo J. B. Gow C. J. Carrington Sir Frederick Lang E. H. Clark R. Moore W. E. Collins R. Scott M. Fagan W. W. Snodgrass Sir W. Hall-Jones W. H. Triggs J. A. Hanan A. K. Hawke L. M. Isitt R. MeAUutn J. MacGregor G. J. Smith W. Stevenson J. Trevithick G. Witty Although the division list was given in the above message as 20 votes to 9, only 18 names of those supporting the Bill were telegraphed. DOMINION BETUBNS INCREASE OVER PREVIOUS WEEK. Wellington, September 25. There was an increase of 306 compared with the previous week in the number of unemployed registered in New Zealand for the week ended last Monday, according to a statement by the Minister of Labour (the Hon. S. G. Smith) to-day. The week’s total was 6,099 and details of registration at labour bureaux and post offices are as follows:

ROOT OF THE EVIL BISHOP OF WAIAPU SUMS UP. SELF-DENIAL THE REMEDY. Napier, September 25. The Bishop of Waiapu, in his opening address to the Diocesan Synod to-day discussing financial conditions and unemployment said: “The root of evil lies in the prevalent neglect of thrift, mistaken views of the standard of living and gross abuse of the system of credit. Credit properly safeguarded Ls of great service in the development of business, but when used to push sales by the instalment system it becomes a serious evil, a canker eating into the vitals of sound finance. Standard of living is a phrase which was invented by political economists in the middle of last century and has done good service in drawing attention to the fact that in their state of affairs there were many workers who could not obtain the ordinary necessities and decencies of life. Labour leaders have rightly been zealous for the maintenance of the standard at a satisfactory level, but undue attention to these points has led to the crea tion of a false .standard.

“Everyone has been led to be dissatisfied with the level he has reached and too often this leads many to adopt a standard above that to which they have attained. Standard of living is measured by standard of comfort and this sooner or later becomes a standard of luxury and pleasure with the result that nearly everyone is treating himself to pleasures and luxuries enjoyed by his neighbour with a higher income. All these have to be paid for in cash whether by instalment or not, and there is not money available for the necessaries of life with which the above standard of living is concerned. “We are spending millions yearly upon motors, pictures and other forms of amusement, tobacco, gramophones,' radio, beer and spirits, swebts and gambling. Hardly anyone can claim he is not to. blame under one or more of these headings. Extravagance is rampant and thrift is almost unknown. It is quite possible for us to live more simply, to forego many luxuries and amuse ourselves instead of paying extravagantly for others to amuse us. Thia means self-denial. The Church has always urged upon her members wise restraint, of all appetites and desires which constitutes the real virtue of temperance.”

With Without Dependents. Dependents. . Auckland . . 886 670 Wellington . 554 368 Christchurch . 724 426 Dunedin . 369 128 Invercargill . 126 79 Totals for the five centres (with figures for the previous week in parentheses) are as follow: Auckland , 1556 (1470) Wellington . 992 (882) Christcnurch . 1150 (1122) Dunedin . 497 (481) Invercargill 205 (173) 1