EUROPE’S WORKLESS

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 63, 7 March 1933, Page 5

EUROPE’S WORKLESS

What the Nations are Giving TO UNEMPLOYED CITIZENS COMPARE FAVOURABLY WITH NEW ZEALAND LONDON, February 23. Humanity’s war against unemployment greatly resembles the Great War, says a sepcial representative of the “News-Chronicle,’’ who has made a tour of Europe. There is the same stupidity, he says, in the General Staff, the same clinging to old-fashioned ideas, the same luxury at headquarters, coupled with an inability to realise what men are suffering with the same noble, pitiable courage, fortitude and endurance as the men in the trenches showed — bearing everything and understanding nothing. Only the rank and file, especially the women, are magnificent. Holland's dole for 350,000 unemployed ranges from Ils 8d to 37s 4d a week, Germany’s, for more than 7,000,000, from Ils 7d to 27s 9d, the latter figure being for a married man with six children. Belgium’s 200,000 get a maximum of 21s, Sweden’s 150,000 15s to 30s, Czecho-slovakia’s 600,000 14s 6d io 27s 6d, and Austria’s half-million 5s to 20s. Italy’s million, of whom only a quarter are on the dole, get a maximum of 5s 6d, France’s 400,000 get a maximum of 28s, but generally far less. Britain, with 2,900,000 unempoyed gives 23s 3d to a married couple, with 2s for each dependent child, at a cost of £130,000,000 a year. The question arises whether Britain is foolish in not asking the people to work for that allowance, especially as all other countries are employing a proportion of their workers on public works and housing and farming schemes, notably in Germany and Italy. None, however, hds produced world-shaking ideas/’ • . Only the Great dwarfed'.the horrors of the situation - . Suicides are increasing fyyv thousands in Europe. Under-nourishment is apparent everywhere/WhileSbUlsare being destroyed.