OUT OF GEAR

Southland Times, Issue 21897, 24 December 1932, Page 6

OUT OF GEAR

ECONOMIC SYSTEM UNEMPLOYMENT STILL DISTRESSING MR HAMILTON’S VIEWS Interviewed yesterday by a Southland Times reporter, the Hon. Adam Hamilton said he was pleased to get away from headquarters and enjoy a week or two in the country. Prior to leaving Wellington he had been suffering from a somewhat severe cold, and now under doctor’s orders he had to remain a day or two in bed. He had found the last six months’ work very strenuous, as it had been for all his colleagues and indeed for all who held responsible positions. Most of public life to-day was not only difficult from a financial point of view, but was distressing from a social point of view. The unemployment problem brought most public men into close contact with much personal suffering. Mr Hamilton said he would be spending about a fortnight in Southland, and hoped during that period to visit as many parts as possible of his electorate. Before returning north he expected to visit Otago Central to look into some problems in connection with the gold prospectors in that area who were assisted by the Unemployment Board, Opportunity for the Critic. “The difficulties that exist in the economic life of the community to-day make a splendid opportunity for the critic, and we have plenty of them, continued Mr Hamilton. “They also afford an opportunity for the theorist who is often confident enough to think that if his pet scheme were put into operation everything would be righted. These are not days for either the critic or the theorist, but are days that call for solid practical thinking, guided by the best expert advice possible. Ve also have the prophet with us to-day who prophesies both good and evil. New Zealand, in common with the rest of the world, for the last generation enjoyed a wonderful period of prosperity. It may be that we shall have to be content with less for a few years. Mr Hamilton said it was easy to understand that some people at present were critical of our economic system. There was no doubt that it was out of gear. Money had become altogether too important when measured in terms of goods and property. Many who a few years ago looked upon themselves as comparatively wealthy to-day found themselves unable to meet their monetary obligations. Legal obligation to pay debts, however, still existed, but with the altered measures of value the question whether the payment of a debt contracted a few years ago still remained morally just was now much debated. Until the relationship of money with goods and property was adjusted, it was, however, still the duty of borrowers to make every effort to pay. It was to be hoped that this adjustment would not be much longer delayed. The problem of unemployment was still very distressing, continued Mr Hamilton, and no section of the community had suffered so acutely in the present depression as the unemployed people and their dependents. It had been hoped that the number of registered unemployed would have largely decreased during the summer months so that a fuller weekly allotment could have been made. The registrations, however, still remained very high. The present policy of administering relief to the unemployed would have to come under review in the near future. Most of the schemes at present in operation were liable to abuse, and it was necessary to review them from time to time. Avenues of Relief. “The two main avenues at present that gave most promise of real and lasting relief to the unemployment fund and a measure of independence to the relief worker were gold-mining and small farms. At present a very large number of prospectors were fossicking for gold in Otago Central, receiving sustenance from the unemployment fund. With the present high price of gold and the surplus labour available, gold-mining was a useful avenue of employment. It was also hoped in the near future to press forward with the small farm scheme and make provision for many who at present had only a small amount of capital as well r.gistered unemployed, to obtain a section that some day they might make their own. Mr Hamilton said that industrial problems loomed fairly large in the political world to-day, and as Minister of Labour he had to take a hand in the settling of many industrial disputes. The one most difficult to settle so far was the freezing workers’ dispute. The Minister said that he expected to see an interesting session when Parliament met towards the end of January. One of the most difficult things in political life to-day was to prevent a split between country and town interests. He had always held that the safest form of political life was a healthy mixture of town and country interests, and it was to be hoped that each would see that the other was entitled to a similar reward for labour and capital as himself. “It is difficult to forecast what the coming year has in store for us unless a speedy adjustment is made in the value of money to allow debtors a reasonable chance of paying debts,” he concluded. “This problem to-day is exercising the minds of responsible people in almost every country of the world. In the meantime, however, though our economic system has got out of gear, Nature in New® Zealand, and especially in Southland, is giving of her best.”