UNEMPLOYED MEN

Southland Times, Issue 21578, 16 December 1931, Page 5

UNEMPLOYED MEN

SELF-HELP CAMPAIGN,

CULTIVATION OF GARDEN PLOTS. “The impossibility of providing continuous work for the unemployed has brought about a position fraught with grave results to the State and to the individuals concerned,” stated Mr J. S. Jessep, deputy chairman of the Unemployment Board, in commenting upon the board’s decision to make it a condition of relief that workers shall cultivate in their own time areas of land for the growing of vegetables and thus assist to maintain themselves. “Some people affect to believe,” continued Mr Jessep, "that the State owes every individual a living; but if that were so the members of the community would have to yield individuality of choice of occupation and take whatever kind and condition of living the State might offer. What the State owes is a fair chance to every’ individual to make his own living, compatible with the welfare of the rest of the community. To the extent of its resources, therefore, the Unemployment Board is going to give the unemployed an opportunity to supplement their relief pay’ by imposing upon them a policy of self-help. "Thousands of residences throughout the Dominion have small plots of ground attached where vegetables sufficient for the needs of a family are grown, but there are thousands of other similar areas where no attempts (or only spasmodic efforts) are made to augment the family income. The practical possibility of the scheme has been demonstrated by Self-Help Clubs at Stratford, in Taranaki, and in other localities, where the families of relief workers have considerably benefited. In cases where workers have no ground suitable for the growing of vegetables, local bodies and local committees are being asked to endeavour to secure for the use of workers areas of ground for this purpose. It should be possible in some localities to arrange for community plots, where competitive efforts would result in direct benefits to the individuals and the community. “The basic idea behind the scheme,” concluded Mr Jessop, “is to save the men from the possibility of moral and physical deterioration because of enforced idleness, and at the same time to provide an opportunity of securing additional income from directly reproductive effort. The Unemployment Board earnestly solicits the practical cooperation of all sections of the community in this self-help campaign, in the firm belief that if it is successfully carried through it will very materially assist in lessening the hardships of the unemployed during the coming year, and in providing useful employment in place of the present disastrous idleness.”