THE WAIPUKURAU PRESS TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1935. BRITISH UNEMPLOYMENT.

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 190, 20 August 1935, Page 4

THE WAIPUKURAU PRESS TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1935. BRITISH UNEMPLOYMENT.

Britain now has more people at work than at any previous time in the past 14 years, stated the staff correspondent of that well-known .American-Anglo newspaper, “The Christian Science Monitor,” under date July 16. “This remarkable fact is brought out in the latest official returns of unemployment. The figures have been brought up to June 24, 1935. They show that on that day there were at work in Britain 10,361,000 persons aged between 16 and 64 who were insured against loss of job. This was 27,000 more than in May. 1935, and 188,000 more than a year ago. Most of the chief industries contributed to the improvement, the main exception being coal mining, especially in Yorkshire, where work is always slack in the summer. The number of insured persons who are out of work in Britain is now 2.000.110, being 44,642 less than in May and 92.476 less than a year ago. The jobless total is thus the lowest since 1930 when the big slump began. Of the unemployed in Britain, 23 per cent., being roughly one in four, have been out of work for more than one year. Of the remainder, 54 per cent, had been jobless for less than three months and may reasonably hope therefore to get back to work before long. Out of the whole total of 2.000.110 unemployed, 1,615,081 are men, 55,647 arc boys, 283,308 are women and 46,074 girls. Arrangements for providing work for these unemployed arc being actively discussed. The latest development has been a decision on the part of the Government to settle 2000 families from distressed areas on the land in the next two years. Small part-time holdings are also being provided as a preliminary training ground for those taking up full-time plots of five acres each. Unemployed assistance in the form of a pecuniary allowance from the State is to be continued in each case for one year after land has been taken up. Working capital is also being supplied by the State, partly as a free gift and partly on easy interest terms with repayment spread over 10 years. Of the new holdings 400 will be in Cumberland. 800 in Durham, and many of the remainder in "Wales. Another big scheme is concerned with the development of house-building, specially for workers on low-scale remuneration. Slum clearance, and road-making are being accelerated. A £35,000.000 scheme for extension of London’s underground railway system has just been sanctioned besides, the State guaranteeing capital at low interest rate.” Although the Acting-Prime Minister (lion. Sir Alfred Ransom) and several other Ministers of the Crown have been pointing to the improved position in this Dominion in respect of employment, a comparison with the Homeland- having regard to normal conditions —is not to the relative credit of New Zealand. By the scientific graduation of ordinary taxation, then the abolition of the imposts on wages and salaries, likewise the sales tax. and higher exchange, the cause of social betterment could be greatly aided. The taxation burden should be placed on the broadest shoulders in due relationship to bearing ability.