THE COST OF THE DOLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1931, Page 4

THE COST OF THE DOLE.

If New Zealand statesmen require any further evidence of the danger that would be associated with the introduction of sustenance payments as a means of coping with lineirtployinent they will find it in tho most' recent messages in regard to the British dole. Seeking authority for a further advance of £20,000,000 by the State, the MifiiSster of Labour, Miss BondfiOld, admitted that it was still uncertain whether the*peak of unemployment had been reached. The subsidy of £20,000,000 was expected to cover requirements up to next July, and if this is correct the unemployment insurance fund will then owe the State £87,000,000. At a low rate of interest that will represent an annual burden of over four millions for the taxpayers to bear, for though the subsidies are nominally advances it is generally adhiiited there is practically no hope of the insurance fund fiver being in a position to repay the Treasury. The tragedy is that all this national expenditure lias led nowhere. So far from being a cure for Unemployment, it might as well have been saved, nor has the money ibeen spent upon enterprises that may ■some day bring a return. Sb far frdm the dole preventing evils it has created them. There are hundreds of young mfin and women in Great Britain who have kiiown no other regular source of livelihood than the dole since they left school, and an inquiry now proceeding has shown how frequent have been the efforts to abuse the funds and to take advantage of what was intended to be relief only. As New Zealand will also find if the dole system is permitted to enter, it is one that is almost impossible to eliminate. Every political party in the United Kingdom recognises the gravity of the evil it has fostered there, but not one of them appears to have any method of eliminating the dole that is likely tci prove successful. Once the principle of "something for nothing” from the State is acted upon a weakeh■ing of moral fibre follows. It is that which constitutes Great Britain’s most serious employment phoblCm tfi-day.