THOUSANDS UNEMPLOYED.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1923, Page 5

THOUSANDS UNEMPLOYED.

PROBLEM IN GERMANY. BURDEN OF THE DOLES. By Telegraph— Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Dec. 21, 5.5 p.m. Berlin, Dec. 21. A clue to the Government’s action in regard to the rentenmark has been revealed by an announcement that the Finance Ministry has issued a statement to civil servants that it cannot pay the arrears of salaries except by cheque, though these are the last official salaries payable before Christmas. Unemployment doles are swal’.owing up the receipts at an appalling rate. The Labour Ministry states there are one and a half million unemployed ; n occupied Germany, and two million in the unoccupied territory. The public iiave been notified that the tax collectors’ offices Mill be open on Christmas Eve AID FROM AMERICA. IMMEDIATE RELIEF IMPERATIVE. Received Dee. 21, 8.5 p.m. Washington, Dec. 20. Hie Treasury Department states that direct and immediate relief for Germany is imperative because of the dangerous food shortage. This is taken to mean that France’s refusal to permit priority over reparations payments makes the projected food credit impossible. Furthermore, since American banks cannot otherwise advance money, direct charity will be necessary to effect relief from famine. The Government is understood to be reluctant to abandon the food credit plan, since President Coolidge definitely favoured relief along purely business lines, but France’s unwillingness to abate the reparations demands renders charity through govern mental and civic bodies the sole remaining expedient.