ABSORPTION OF UNEMPLOYED

Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 8

ABSORPTION OF UNEMPLOYED

INQUIRY PROPOSED NECESSARY REMEDIES SOUGHT (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 17. A thorough examination of the unemployment problem with a view to finding some more effective method of dealing with the situation was advocated by the Hon. G. W. Forbes (Nat., Hurunui), during the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives today. Something should be done, he said, to accelerate the absorption of the unemployed by industry. An investigation should be made with a determination to apply the remedies that were found necessary even if it meant a reduction in taxation to enable industry to employ extra labour. Mr Forbes said that in spite of the great improvement in the economic position of the country there was still an army of unemployed. When members of the Government were in Opposition they charged the previous Government with creating a nation of navvies as a result of the method adopted to deal with unemployment. He admitted there was that weakness, but immediate relief had to be provided. The problem had not been tackled in the way one had been led to believe it would be dealt with by the present Government. When in Opposition, the Government had said there should be a thorough and exhaustive examination into the whole problem. The time had come for such an examination with a view to arriving at a more satisfactory solution and bringing a greater sense of security to people out of work. The method adopted by the Government was only aggravating the problem. If the Government could divest itself of its bias against employers and what it called the leisured class it would probably make some headway. His firm conviction was that the investigation recommended by the Government in its days of opposition o was more necessary today than ever before. Talk about the extinction of private enterprise would not encourage confidence without which expansion was impossible.