LABOUR'S RECORD.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20285, 9 April 1938, Page 2

LABOUR'S RECORD.

MR. J. THORN'S REVIEW.

LESS UNEMPLOYMENT.

WAGES AND SALARIES INCREASE

In the 12 mouths ended November, 11)37, the wages and salaries paid in New Zealand reached the highest ligure on record, asserted Mr. J. Thorn, M.P. for Thames, when speaking at Paeroa on Wednesday evening. In 1930-31 the wages and salaries totalled £82,0*00,000, in 1932-33 it had fallen to £58,000,000, by 1935 it had increased to £07,000,000, and the latest figures available, those for the 12 months ended November last, were £92,000,000.

Dealing with the Labour Government's record in regard to unemployment, Mr. Thorn detailed that at the date of the 1935 election there wero 57,240 males over 21 registered as unemployed, and it could be said that 175,000 people were affected. Tho last statistics available, given on . March 12 last, gave a total of 6093 physically lit men as unemployed. Ot these, 1086 were registered but not placed, 2874 were on sustenance and 2735 were on No. 5 scheme. Certainly there were 8000 men who had been medically certified as physically unfit for manual work and who were drawing sustenance payments from the Employment Promotion Fund, but it was better that they be supported by this fund than have to depend on what they could get from the charitable aid boards. There was actually less unemployment in New Zealand now than in the boom years of 1926, when the census revealed that well over 10,000 people entered themselves as unemployed.