THE QUESTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 83, 13 June 1921, Page 3

THE QUESTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT.

|£ THERE ANY REMEDY FOR ;T7 (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League). But a little while ago we found oar Dominion, in the happy positr.-n of being I'rbe from any stagnation, of trade, an'ci more demand for labour than there were workers to supply. A change has come about, and now wo hear the cry of unemployment throughout the land. In facing the .problem we are met with the same difficulty as confronts Us '» dealing with some other social questions >n the absence of ex tact, reliable data from which to judge. What i s the nature and extent of the unemployment? >s a question difficult, to answer. An evil that attaches to the proper handling >'.:' tills matter is that it is "made far l~j much of a party issue. The Socialist politicians make up figures to present the number of unemployed as being very large ana steadily increasing. This we expect, as- they are always anxious to create discontent and unrest. Their state-

ment of the case i s an extreme one. On the other hand it appears to ,-3 that the Government, which wants naturally to show.' things a,* good as possible goes to the opposite extreme in under-stating 11 not even underestimating, the extent of the tronMe to be dealt with. For the sake of those who are in the unfortunate position of being out of work, we should like to see the problem of their circumstances dealt with on non-party lines. Wiiy should the unemployed f'nd their hard conditions be made the shuttle-cock of contending parties? Earty wrangles will not find them what they require. We no more believe that the Government is the cause of the present unemployment than we would have credited it with the great demand for labour that p.ieViously obtained. The causes of the present situation are, we believe, well known to all. The drop in prices of one or two of cur staple products, particularly woof, and the restriction of industrial credits which the banks have found it necessary to enforce, have been the main causes of checking operations in several directions, which has limited the demand for l;*bour. It is a question whether the restriction of output in coal production, the enhancing of the costs in shipping transport, and the general lavishness of expenditure in Government departments have not been rather important contributory causes. The adage .that "we cannot ent our cake and have it too" applies here. For some years wo have been I'ving high and neglecting to develop the productive resources and industries of our Dominion until the inTvltaibnr lmtPTvas""calfetT! Now that the unemployed are with lisp in-'considerable numbers, we find the only effort at solution being presented is the old, and to our thinking, somewhat wastful method of relief works'. It is certainly more wasteful from an'economic standpoint to have work done at 10s per day by men who know nothing about it, and are unfitted for it, than it would be to pay competent men los. The relief system, is -certainly no solution. At this .-ttfnle it might be well to have s ome review, of industrial conditions instituted In order to discover whether there are any means of stimulating the same or not. If we face matters in a spirit of entire pessimism, we are m<?st likely to make conditions worse rather than better. The Government might consider the advisability of inviting some of the ablest men, both employers and employed!, to form n voluntary board to investigate and advise upon this whole subject. We believe that there are men in business and men in Trade Unions who would carry through such investigation on. non-political lines with advantage to the people seeking employment and benefit to the Dominion. The whole matter of our unemployed citizens appears to be dealt with too much on rhe lines of drift, - official ■direction, and political feeling. We urge the need of dealing wn'th the issue on the broader basis oi' independent investigation and such direction as will give the best results to the individual and, the State.