UNEMPLOYMENT

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 10, 7 March 1930, Page 4

UNEMPLOYMENT

CONFERENCE DISCUSSION

VIEWS OF MUNICIPAL DELEGATES INVERCARGILL, March 6. The question of provision for alleviating unemployment w r as one of the matters dealt with at the Conference of the Municipal Associations of New Zealand to day. Considerable discussion took place, and it was finally decided to submit a scheme to the Government. Mr R. Coulter (To Aroha) said that he considered it was the duty of the conference to deal with the problem of unemployment. He moved, “That a special committee should be set up to investigate the matter.” The Rev. J. K. Archer (Christchurch) seconded the motion, and said that unemployment in Now Zealand was not only a folly but a crime. Sir Charles Fergusson had suggested a conference, but no one was making a move to carry out the suggestion. Municipalities were be --ng the burden of supporting unemployment and if there was money to do that there was money to employ men.

Mr G. A. Troup (Wellington) said that a scheme had been devised two years ago and had been sent to the Government as an unemployed insurance scheme. This cheme had provided for a fund which could have met any needs arising out of unemployment. The Hon. J. G. Coates had refused the scheme because it would cost the Government a quarter of the total capital, but the speaker claimed more ‘ than that was being spent to relieve unemployment. Continuing Mr iioup attacked the scheme for unemployment insurance recently published. He held the suggestion that local bodies should be taxed was wrong in principle. The only way to meet the difficulty was to set' up a fund as had been suggested two years ago and apply it to provide work and not as a dole. He moved, “That this conference of local bodies objects to the proposal put forward by the special committee set up by the Government as set forward in the daily press, on the following grounds: (1) In their opinion work and not a dole should be provided; (2) tjiat the principal taxation of muncipalities in the manner provided is unfair and unsound; (3) that New Zealand is not able to stand an additional taxation of £1,(100,000 annually. This conference recommends the Government to adopt the unemployment insurance scheme prepared by this Association, the payments for which shall be one penny in the pound on all wages to be paid by the following contributors: (a) The employee; (b) the employer; (c) the Government; (d) local bodies. Of the contributions the Government shall expend one-quarter of the amount on the employment of single men, the local bodies shall expend threequarters of the amount on the employment of married men.” Councillor Blodworth (Auckland) objected to the remit; on the grounds that it might provide the Government with an excuse for holding up consideration of the report brought down by its own committee. Ho did not think any scheme of land settlement would meet the difficulty, for he said during the last three years the population of New Zealand had increased by three per cent, while the horsepower for manufacturing machinery had increased to 200 per cent. -. ~ Mr D. fch Sullivan (Christchurch) said he objected to the word dole. If a man insured his house and it was burnt down insurance was' not regarded as a dole. If a man insured himself against unemployment he had a right t 0 the insurance if he became genuinely unemployed. He suggested that the conference’s scheme should be sent to the Government for consideration, along with the unemployment committee’s scheme. Mr M. F. Luckie said he held that the scheme outlined by Mr Troup was vastly superior to the one brought down by He Government’s committee. He agreed with Mr Sullivan that there was nothing derogatory in the term dole, but it was open to abuse and they should try to do without it. The beauty of the conference's scheme was that money provided by municipalities would be spent in municipalities on useful work. Mr Bloodworth said unemployment was not evil. If it was, some of the men they hold in the highest esteem had been suffering from it for years. The problem they had to face was that of providing a market for goods produced by employed, and more men would soon be employed. He held “That the scheme of making men provide their own wages was a vicious Mr Luckie said they would only provide one-quarter. The Rev. Archer asked how men at present unemployed and so unable to contribute to the scheme would get "Mr Troup: They would be employed. Eev Archer: ' According to the scheme they could not be employed. Mr Luckie: That’s not true. Rev. Archer: I object to that remark It implies a lie, and while i may lie a fool I am not a liar. Mr Luckie: I will say incorrect. Rev Archer said ho did not intend t 0 go into the merits or demerits of the scheme, but he wanted to know how present unemployed were to be employed until the scheme came into effect. Mu - D. W. Coleman (Gisborne) moved as an amendment “That the conference scheme should be forwarded to the Government for consideration, along with the unemployment committee's scheme.” Mr E. Aldridge (Dcvonport) seconded the amendment. He believed that unemployment would be solved by increasing the population of the country. Every person in the country had- to _bo clothed, fed and housed, and he claimed that a rapid increase in population of the Dominion, while it might cause temporary hardship, would finally solve the problem. He suggested that funds for unemployment should be provided from taxes on luxuries and then people who could afford luxuries would supply monev, instead of working men being asked to supply it. After Mr Troup had replied the amendment was lost on the voices and the motion was carried.