WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1932. NATIONAL UNITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1932, Page 6

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1932. NATIONAL UNITY.

The address of the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, to the manufacturers of Dunedin was a very sober statement. Possibly because he does not often take the platform, Mr. Stewart’s utterances have come to be regarded as some of the most important given by anv member of the. Ministry, and they have never suffered from the disadvantage of being suspected as the mere echo of political party decisions or compromises. Besides which, Mr. Stewart is the head of the public Treasury, and the Minister who controls the public purse is entitled to a good deal of sympathy at the present time. Fortunately, Mr. Stewart appears to be practising the calm clearheadedness in the midst of bewildering circumstances which he urged the public of the Dominion to believe was the cardinal virtue of a self-governing, self-respecting State during [these days of stress. His judgment upon the results obtained at Ottawa was that they gave the opportunity rather than the occasion for increased intraEmpire trade and that whatever was the outcome of that conference it must recognise first of all that each unit of the Empire will regard its own industrial development as its first care. This need not mean the establishment of "hot-house” industries or even the maintenance of those which are proving themselves uneconomic. Apparently this was the nearest approach made by the Minister to a discussion of the difficulties surrounding inter-Dominion trading, particularly the acute position which has arisen in regard

;o trade between Australia and New Zealand. As fresh negotiations have been initiated by the Commonwealth Mr. Stewart’s reticence can be understood and appreciated. As regards the Government’s proposals for the relief of the primary industries, the Minister was entirely noncommittal. Reading' between the words of his address, it could almost be said that he sees doubt whether any legislative action can really afford the relief that is required, though circumstances will certainly make it imperative that some attempt be made. Mr. Stewart made a strong appeal for national unity in dealing with the present crisis, and his warning against the acceptance of wild rumour and various political remedies for industrial ills was plain and timely. In one respect, the awakening of the personal desire arid willingness to help each other, the depression has developed one of the best phases of community life. In others there s a long way to go before complete co-ordination of effort to ift the country out of the financial bog can be said to have been brought about. Claims for relief of the farmer are countered by demands for similar assistance for the secondary industries; appeals for a reduction in costs are met with demands for wages as high as in the boom days; the unemployed have become “organised” and as such are unable to accept work which other sections of organised labour have declined because, the condi-

tions of employment do not come near enough to those of the setter days; conciliation in industrial affairs is only slowly winning its way to acceptance, and all this while the danger to the country’s financial welfare is graver than ever. “A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand,” and it is certain that if full co-ordination of effort is not achieved the Dominion’s recovery will be a much slower process than if single-minded determination is given full play. The Minister of Finance knows better than most people how difficult the situation is. He did not indulge in any sentimental optimism. His request was for calm judgment and for attempts to understand the other fellow’s viewpoint and position. Such conduct, combined with hard work, seems the only programme which New Zealand can adopt with safety and with some degree of hope for happier days. Whatever assistance in its development can be afforded by legislative effort will be welcome, but Mr. Stewart’s warning was plainly that too much must not be expected from Parliament, however great may be its desire to help. His advice comes back after all to personal thrift, personal effort, and personal hard work to overcome the national difficulties. It is counsel within the heed of all sec.tiqgs .o£‘

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF. Representations to the Unemployment Board to increase the weekly allocations for relief work are so frequently made that they have become almost a commonplace. The recent requests from Auckland, however, arrested particular attention because of the strong support accorded them by the churches. The earnest pleadings of men such as Archbishop Averill could arise only from a full knowledge of the real want that is abroad in the community to-day. They were eloquent testimony to the fact that the churches are not, as was most ungraciously suggested from a New Plymouth platform recently, passive in this hour of great need, and they were of such a nature that refusal would be almost impossible if an acceptance were practicable. The plain facts given by the Unemployment Board, unfortunately, show only too well the futility, if n °t the impossibility of increasing the allocations. That the average amount per head in the Auckland district has been increased from 17s to 26s 8d a week since last December, and the total weekly allocation has grown from £6,650 to £10,370 for practically the same number of unemployed shows that the board has at least effected some improvement. But that is not the point, for no one would suggest that even 26s 8d will allow anything in the nature of comfort. The conclusive argument is that whereas the estimated average weekly income of the board is approximately £73,000 a week the present expenditure is £83,000. The taxpayer is already straining to the utmost to meet the demands already made on him, and in many cases is actually worse off than the unemployed man he is supporting. It is as plain that he cannot be called on for more as it is that to increase the present unemployment allocation is to bring about at an early date a state of affairs even worse than the present one. There is need for practical sympathy this Christmastide for those in distress, but it seems that in the present crisis the community must depend for further relief on individual generosity, which is seldom found wanting when the genuine necessity arises.