UNEMPLOYMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17242, 29 October 1927, Page 11

UNEMPLOYMENT.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —The attitude of some people regarding 'unemployment and its attendant evils is rather instructive. _ At a recent meeting of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce one speaker made a few observations which revealed him as being quite unsympathetic with the unfortunate unemployed and with having rather a limited knowledge of economics. The subject > was introduced by the president referring to the unemployment amongst girls. One member instanced a case of a school where there were three married women teachers. I might say incidentally that I too know of a school where there are three married women teachers, the husband of one being a successful farmer, the husband of another a successful business man, and the husband of the third is engaged in rather lucrative employment; and this state of affairs exists while there are numbers of efficient single women unemployed. The speaker said it would be a deplorable thing not to employ our labour to its fullest capacity. No one will disagree with him there, and personally he was not opposed to married women working if they could get jobs. But is this his idea of employing labour to its fullest capacity? What of the single women who are unemployed? Are they not in the picture at all? Surely it is not necessary to elucidate the reasons why they should get the preference over married women who are circumstanced as the three I have mentioned. No one could take exception to a married woman working in a case of necessity; on the contrary, there is a good deal to be said in her favour, but the appointment of married women to positions while ' single women are available can only be justified in very special circumstances. The speaker next suggested that the reason many men became unemployed in winter was because country workers threw up their jobs in order to be in town during the winter months, and he makes thi3 statement notwithstanding that it is common knowledge that there are hundreds of honest men tramping the country genuinely seeking work without success. This was his first shot at the unemployed. If he had said seasonal workers who were discharged during the winter months he would have been stating .what most people know to be a large contributing factor, more particularly in a town situated in the centre of a large dairying district as Hamilton is. But to pass on to his next and most brilliant suggestion. He said he considered that in tackling the problem of unemployment the whole industrial history of the individual should he reviewed and the reason ascertained why nc became unemployed. How simple and wonderful! Perhaps he would employ the superannuated civil servants "in gathering this information. Why not extend the inquiry regarding bistory to those in employment, including professional men; he might possibly find some of the- inefficiency he is seeking there. But, seriously, isn’t this a gratuitous insult to the large body of unfortunate men who, because of economic reasons over which they have no control and the effect of which is w’orld-wide, are deprived of the means of earning a livng for themselves and their dependents The whole tenor of his remarks is to throw the responsibility on the Juen themselves, suggesting, as he does in a veiled manner, that they are inefficient. Then again, his further reference to people going about from

place to place beating their landlords for rent and running up accounts which they never intended to pay and who were unable to comply with orders made against them, gives further evidence of his attitude of mind. Does he suggest that failure to meet obligations is a characteristic peculiar to the unemployed? As a professional mam he must know that such is not the case. Dishonesty is no more prevalent among the working class than among those in higher stations in life, and there is, moreover, in the case of a man with a hungry wife and children a greater temptation to be dishonest. I take off my hat to the man who resists temptation in such circumstances. One very rarely finds extenuating circumstances when acts of dishonesty are committed by people more or less wealthy. The gentleman’s last contribution to the discussion is perhaps also worthy of mention. He said that he considered the distribution of the charitable funds of the country called for some revision. Seeking work at present is a very trying and disheartening experience. The reception a man gets on occasions makes his humiliation complete, and how demoralising it ail is to those directly affected. Why should people be prejudiced and treat with suspicoin men who for the timebeing arc the bottom dogs? A man seeking work is not begging alms. lie is asking for the right to live and offering his labour in exchange. Unemployment is a tremendous problem and a menace, and should be tackled in a comprehensive manner. Palliatives are all right as far as they go, but there are many contributing factors which can be permanently overcome. Immigrants arc still arriving, although unemployment is rife, and it must be remembered that this is about the busiest time of the year. A halt must be called somewhere. What will be the position by next winter? Apparently there is only one method of stopping the rot, and that is per medium of the ballotbox. Until we have that opportunity things are likely to drift from bad to worse. —I am, etc., LIVE AND LET LIVE.