UNEMPLOYMENT

Southland Times, Issue 21652, 14 March 1932, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT

GENERAL ASSEMBLY DISCUSSION. An interesting report on unemployment was presented by a sub-committee of the Public Questions Committee at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. The report stated inter alia: "The present position .of adult unemployment in New Zealand is very serious. On July 1, 1931, the number of applicants for employment was 46,359. On September 31 the number had increased to 51,375. The peak was reached in the first week in October when the number was 51,408. Between then and December 31 there was a decrease of 6268. According to the latest figures available the number of registered unemployed in New Zealand is over 45,000. The board has been doing its best to place men on reproductive work, but at least 75 per cent, of the men are on work which is of no direct benefit to the community in the direction of helping to solve the unemployment problem. Numerous schemes have been initiated by local bodies and subsidies are being granted to industries that will absorb men. Unemployment among women has caused a great deal of concern and, money has been granted to women’s organizations to establish labour exchanges, and a special Women’s Unemployment Committee has been set up to report. The most serious aspect of the unemployment situation is the position of boys leaving school. At the age of enthusiasm they are damped by the realization that they are not wanted by the world of industry. Unemployment among office-bearers and members of our Church is very considerable. Our social sen-ice associations are doing fine work among the destitute and needy poor, but we wonder whether the time has arrived when their organization should be used to help needy office-bearers and Church and Bible Class members. The committee has endeavoured to think concretely on this complex and baffling problem, particularly as it concerns our young people. It considers that all young people either wholly or partially unemployed should be required to register at a juvenile unemployment bureau and that vocational guidance should be an integral part of our national system of education. It is for the Church to show that there is a better way than subsidizing idleness and that apart from the true way of service of each. for all there can be no real and lasting prosperity. The first duty of a Christian state is to see that each of its members, if physically able, gets a chance to earn his own living. To feed, clothe and house an able-bodied person and not give that person a chance to earn his food, clothing and shelter is transgressing every law of good government. Idleness, voluntary or involuntary, leads to inefficiency and disaster.”

The committee made a number of recommendations, most of which were embodied in the following resolutions carried by the Assembly after the presentation of the report: (1) That in view of the importance of a careful and adequate knowledge of the facts connected with the present situation the Assembly approves of the appointment of a committee of economists to study the whole subject in the light of Christian teaching and report to the next Assembly through the Public Questions Committee. (2) That ministers and Bible Class leaders study the moral and spiritual aspects of unemployment, keeping before their members the ideas of willing co-operation and voluntary sacrifice for the common good. (3) That Presbyteries investigate the situation in their districts in regard to relief work and co-operate with existing agencies, and, where necessary, set up special committees. (4) That special attention be given to providing spiritual ministrations in unemployment camps. (5) That parents be urged to keep their boys and girls at school or devise means

of keeping them fully occupied during periods of enforced unemployment. (c) That Bible classes do all they can to assist unemployed members and that Bible Class members be urged to cultivate the habit of adopting positive attitudes .of helpfulness towards all in need. It was also decided to urge upon the Government the advisability of registering all unemployed under the age of 21; and of placing a vocational officer at each registration bureau if possible.