WORK AND WAGES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 20, 14 April 1927, Page 8

WORK AND WAGES

LABOUR’S DEMAI®S MINISTERS WAITED ON UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM (Froin Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, To,day. *We don’t want money, we w, . food, clothing - and shelter." Thi« the claim of a deputation 40 representatives of the big T-S** Conference which has just at Wellington, which waited on Hon. G. J. Anderson, Labour, to-day complaining of m-C gration and unemployment. The Prime Minister came in durm, the course of the proceedings. Mr. B. Davidson, general secret-!.-of the United Mine Worker. In “JZ Zealand, voiced the workers' grtevanel in respect to immigration, and sals that the Government's policy of allow* ins free passages to people to c )tD I out here has caused unemplovmem many of those from Home Uvm, pushed New Zealanders out of jobs Mr. J. Roberts referred to unernplo, ment in its general aspect, and out" lined a scheme for house-building v.-bk New Zealand timber, which he said would relieve the housing shortage well as giving work to men employed in the Dominion. This work would b« reproductive. Unemployment, he said had become permanent and clu-onic’ He charged the Government wish direct responsibility. Local bodiM and also the Government, had held over till the slack period work that was not essential immediately, so that thev could get it done at unemployment re. duced rates. This work should command the full rate of 14s a day. The worker was being asked to carry the load of high interest paid to-moneylenders. We do not want any charity jobs, he said. The Government seems to be cateruu? for every class of the community bn; the worker. Mr Anderson denied that the Govern., ment was responsible for ment. This was caused by economic conditions, which were world wide. He denied also that the Government wan holding work to get it done cheaply in bad times. Many works were not immediately necessary, and were pm aside, for it wajs immaterial whether completed within five or six yeare. Mr. Roberts: They have to be done some time. Mr. Anderson: We want the people to get work outside if possible. A member of the deputation: W* cannot do it, Mr. Anderson. If we pay the standard rates we will never git rid of them, because they would never try to get another job. What is the use of putting out a housing scheme if there is no money. Mr. Roberts: Put me in your chair for a week and I will show you. Mr. Anderson: Oh, but I won’t The State Bank which had been advocated would leave the country as you were. People in Australia had to pay a higher rate of interest than w r e did here. Mr. P. Fraser: The overdraft rate is much less. It was 7£ per cent, here during last year, and in the Commonwealth it remained at 6 per cent, throughout. Mr. Coates: That can be disputed. Mr. Fraser: All right we have the figures. Air. Anderson said that he hoped this country was a long way from giving the dole. Immigration would close in Alay except for a few for whom arrangements already had been made. People, he said, were living at a higher level than they should. (Cries of "protest” and "we axe not and cannot.”) Air. Anderson: I know what I am talking about, and I include myself. We are all living higher than is necessary. A member: We are back to the rics again. Air. Anderson: We are all in ths same boat. Mr. Coates, who at first did not intend to speak, said that many of tin arguments were excellent politically, but the problem of unemployment was exercising Ministerial minds all day and night. It was always argued that the Government should find a job. Air. Roberts: I said the country should satisfy its own economic requirements. Air. Coates: That begs the question. It simply means that if we don’t get the prices for our stuff we have t* do with less. A member: And reduce the wages. Mr. Coates: I don’t want to lower the standard of living. The standard here is the highest in the world. Thew is only one possible way to pick up, that is by increased output and increased return. I don’t suggest that people are not giving a return, but ia times of economic difficulty it is necessary that everyone should do a littl« more. In respect to wages one department now carried 1,500 men, at a reduced rate, over and above what they wanted. Air. Roberts: Why did you bring them here? Air. Coates: The proportion of migrants is infinitesimal. Air. Roberts: They pushed our chapa out of jobs. Air. Coates: Oh you use that aigument. We must not let our hearts run away with our heads, but we have to find out how to administer this country so that it will be placed in a good position after we have passed through the economic difficulties, and live in such a way that none will say he haJ not had a fair run for his money. "THE SUN” WAS FAK A SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT They were some 40 in number, the man on the box was putting h .subject before them with gusto. ** suddenly stopped, glanced over tn heads of the men gathered about and then said: "I am informed tna there is a reporter here who is talons le’ngthy notes.” . The gathering of unemployed on tn Civic Square yesterday afternoo turned as a man and glared, cr ju looked, as the mood struck h 0 the representative of THE SUN, C r( » stood on the outskirts of the oro' endeavouring to look like anyone a reporter. The speaker then . that the morning paper and the n evening paper in Auckland had tre . . the unemployed very fairly, but the other evening paper had end oured to become facetious bejMN** the speaker, had referred to ki® fel unemployed as "comrades.” J .“ e r struction placed on that by this P had been that he was a follower . bewhiskered gentry known * s sheviks. While the speaker jrcin with his address, a man sidled out the crowd and moved close t reporter. h« "What paper are you Iron »• Cj asked, and he did not seem too P» with the world in general. THE SUN," was the reply. “Oh, well, that’s all right, ana sidled off again.