UNEMPLOYMENT

Observer, Volume XXIX, Issue 44, 17 July 1909, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT

Some Phases of the Situation

THE fiery remarks made by certain agitated individuals at a recent

meeting of the unemployed at •Christchurch need not be taken seriously. They only go to prove that the Hyde Park type of orator is not unknown in this country. But the utterances of such people, how--ever entertaining, are not of any great moment. To talk of pillaging bakers' shops and looking about for dynamite is senseless and childish twaddle. Men who screech in that wav do an immensity of harm to the cause wliich they are supposed to be championing. Nor do we believe that such revolutionary heroics aie endorsed by the bulk of the unemployed. Certainly, the insane frothings of a handful of discontented immigrants are no incentive to the authorities to find work for them. At the same time it must be oonoeded that the unemployed problem has assumed large proportions. The Government and the various local bodies are confronted with the task of finding a practical solution of that problem. But in doing so, there is necessity for the exercise of great care .and discrimination.

The chief essential is that no undue -overdraft should be made upon public works. The needs of the future, as well as of the present, must be taken into consideration. The pursuance of a too atuive public works policy at the present time might have a disastrous effect upon the welfare of posterity. Assuming, for the sake of example, that the Government and all the municipal and local bodies employed every available man upon construction and other works, this might absorb the unemployed, but it would also absorb the work in a very short space of time, so that the last state -of Labour would be worse than the first, and the unemployed question would become still more acute. So far, the various authorities have exlubited admirable tact and discretion in distributing work. It is to be hoped that the irresponsible spoutings of the soap-box orator will not avail to change their present attitude. If it does, industrial disaster will follow, as sure as night follows .day.

Turn now to another phase of the -matter. On a recent occasion, Mr Arthur Rosser, whose unselfish and disinterested activity in the interests of the poor, down-trodden working man is a 6weet and touching thing to contemplate, remarked that the responsibility for the present unemployed difficulty rested with the Government's immigration policy. Far be it from us to contradict Mr Rosser ; but we would humbly suggest that another and more palpable reason may Ij e found. Mr Rosser and other philanthropic and energetic individuals succeeded , per medium of organising, trades unions and bringing disputes before the Arbitration Court, in obtaining high wages and' short hours of labour for the workers. Naturally, the fame of Mr Arthur Rosser and of the pleasant industrial conditions in New Zealand travelled to Great Britain. Apparently, they have no Mr Rosser in Great Britain, and the workers' lot was not a happy one. Therefore, the British workmen — or a great many of -them — said : " Let us <*o out to New Zealand, where they have blue skies, hig wages, 6hort hours, and nice, philanthropic people like Mr Rosser." So they came, and they kept on coming : and now Mr Rosser wants to Tilame the Government immigration policy for the inrush of immigrants md consequent unemployed. Humorous Mr Rosser !

Leaving, with regret, the subject of Mr Rosser and his quaint opinions, ■we must return to the Question of -the best method by whioh to deal with the existing unemployed difficulty. A limited amount of employment has already been made -available on different public works,

and, as as we have already ponted out, it would be unwise for the authorities to draw too heavily upon this source. The alternative is the opening up of the land, huge areas of which are lying idle, and could be thrown open for immediate settlement on the easiest possible terms. This would benefit not only the unemployed, but the whole Dominion. Furthermore, it would benefit posterity, instead of harming it, as a too speedy completion of public worka would undoubtedly do. In the past, the Government have exhibited a most undesirable tardiness in throwing open locked-up lands. In the face of present circumstances it is time that they adopted a -progressive policy of land settlement. If they did so, industrial depression would soon be a thing of the past.