“STRATFORD EVENING POST" THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1928. STRIKING AT THE ROOT.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 8, 27 December 1928, Page 4

“STRATFORD EVENING POST" THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1928. STRIKING AT THE ROOT.

UNEMPLOYMENT is still with us in New; Zealand) and although grants have been made by the Government to various cities, in order to relieve distress, these are at best merely relief measures, and are not likely in any sense to strike the distressing problem at its root. However, the Government rave never claimed that any permanent effect in so flar as the solution of unemployment is concerned, was likely to accrue from the action taken. It was merely an endeavour to relieve distress and a praiseworthy endeavour at that. Of course there are critics and such pCxra.se sas “the misuse of ®t|iM money” and other such terms are tot be found i n the leading articles of one or two newspapers, but that is only fo be expected!. Sir Joseph Ward (and bis Cabinet have not been in office long enough to enable them to take action to deal with, the position in a permanent way, and so they adopted neeesdvry relief measures temporarily. They could not be expected to sit still and do nothing mv til after the holidiiys,leaving numerous people in actual want, and those who contend that they should have delayed) their action, do not seem to bo veiy much concerned with the privhtions of unfortunate men and their wives and families. W© hav© always (advocated that there is only one solution of the unemployment difficulty in a country like this and that is by increasug our primary production which in turn can only be accompli shed by progressive land settlement. The new Minister of Lands js alive to- the necessity for the latter, and immediately after the holidays, intends going thoroughly into the position so we m!my expect something. (Miigible in a short space of time. The decision to push on with the construe* tiou of th© more important lines of railway will mean work for many men who would otherwise be cut of work, jund although this will not be permanent it will alleviate the position for fe\V years. The closer settlement ot good land, can caily result in greater production and greater wealth for tine community, the outcome of which, will of corn's© be greater spending power and greater prosperity. Unemployment is not directly a Government responsibility, but it hals been intensified by the late Government’s lack of vision, permitting the country to get into a stagnant state. If ’the present Government should prove as progressive and far seeing, as their earlier efforts indicate, the problems which he behind unemployment will be solved, and this difficult question will be adjusted more or less automatically.