THE MACHINERY AGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 227, 25 September 1928, Page 6

THE MACHINERY AGE.

EFFECT ON EMPLOYMENT.

(To the Editor.)

The reason of the scarcity of emploTm—» i» the wide introduction of machinery andtkl general acceptance of the motor for "road «7 riage of all descriptions. The fact has t* Twl faced that we have entered upon a new IS in the world's history. Why this has not wH recognised by those who profess to leadrT seems strange to me. Unemployment kJ! acute and will remain so if no decided mov/Z made to counteract it. A wave of the W? and an exclamation that '"we have tornedtfc* corner" do no good to anyone. I that what is required „ \ cx>m P rehe2R scheme of community farming so that J, may at least be housed and be able to provS for their families. There would, of ronrsefc. a thousand and one details to be attended ♦« which at this juncture are not necesiarv ft£ me to formulate. But one thin" is certain and that is that something on the above Mum must eventuate, and that very quicklv ai TtS vast number of idle men and* women*will •** be satisfied with the pitiable existence that is their lot at present, the great whom are only too eager to work but cannnt get any to do. To give a homely exampfeof how labour is minimised. Take the erectim of a large concrete building a few Tears aeo and compare it with present-dav * methodV Formerly there would be a large* boardfi* mixing manned by ten or twelve men. Sow with the motor or electrically -driven mixer lea than half the men are required, and probably ten times the amount of material is mixed n the same period of hours. Similarly in other trades machinery has done away with thorn sands of workers. I earnestly hope that nr letter will induce others to take the inatw U P- ALEX. EDWARDST