PLAIN TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 230, 28 September 1929, Page 10

PLAIN TALK.

GOVERNMENT ATTACKED UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM. DISSATISFIED MEMBERS. MR. FLETCHER'S IMPATIENCE. (By Telegraph.— Parliamentary ..Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this; day. A great deal more about the necessity for taking measures to remedy unemployment permanently was heard in the House of Representatives last night, when the Imprest Supply Bill was under discussion. The ball was set rolling by Mr. J. S. Fletcher, Government member for Grey Lynn. Unemployment was an urgent problem, and the best efforts of the Government should be exerted to find a solution, Mr. Fletcher said. It was useless to compare conditions in New Zealand with conditions in other countries., because that did not help matters. There were 5000 men unemployed in New Zealand to-day. In three short months 12,000 young people leaving school would be turned loose on to the labour market. What did the Government intend to do about it? Ho demanded an answer at the price of his vote on the Imprest Bill. National Roading Scheme. After congratulating the Government on its efforts to provide palliatives for the present unemployment, Mr. Fletcher said the money made available would soon run out, and then the plight of the unemployed would be worse than before. The fact was that last August there were fewer men on Public Works jobs than there were in August, 1928, as official iigures showed. A count hadbeen taken and it showed 175 men were unemployed in the building trade throughout the Dominion. In Auckland alone there wen :ilo unemployed in five trades. Tho Gov ornment must face this position, and i could find a remedy by putting in ham a national roading scheme.

How Ita Would Be Done. Mr. Fletcher suggested that the difference between £1,000,000 and the balance of the highways revenue be capitalised. By doing that the Government would make £0,000,000 available at the rate of £2,000,000 a year. If that were clone work could be provided for 3000 men. The Highways Board could be made responsible for all main highways and subsidiary roads now gazetted. It would relieve the.counties of the necessity of raising their rates to pay interest on their unemployment subsidies. City rates would also be relieved, because charitable aid boards would have to spend less in alleviation of unemployment distress, because there would be no local body subsidies.. The Government would be able to go-ahead and get work done. All this could be done by amending three clauses in the Main Highways Act. Mr. D. Jones (Mid-Canterbury): Not much off the £70,000,000. Mr. Fletcher: Yes, that is the sort of thing we expect from the member for Mid-Canterbury. If this were done the motorists and commercial classes would be criven what they are asking. . He added that labourers, quarrymen, carpenters, and all sorts of people would be provided with work. Mr. Fletcher showed he was in earnest by voting against the first motion on the Imprest Bill, but as he was lone-handed he did not call for a division. Labourite Remembers Hungry Days. Urging the cause of the unemployed with all the fervour of one who has been through the' mill himself, Mr. M. J. Savage (Auckland West) said he knew what unemployment meant, because he was a member of the Auckland Charitable Aid Board, which dispensed relief to large numbers of men. There were in Auckland hundreds of people workless and hungry. What was the Government going to do? Figures about the past were futile. What was the Unemployment Committee set up by the Government doing? Had it made recommendations? Mr. Savage said he sometimes met members of that committee on the Auckland express, and they did not seem to be getting any further forward. The unemployment situation was getting worse instead of better. It was neither fair nor constructive to place the responsibility for unemployment relief on the shoulders of local bodies. Land settlement might prove useful in the alleviation of unemployment, hut why did the I government not take action? ' Section 17 •lot the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1927, J covered almost anything under the sun m the way of preparation of lauds for

settlement. The Government could build bridges or do anything necessary, so what were they waiting for ? Why delay when there were hundreds workless? '"I know what it means to bo out of work," declared Mr. Savage. "I've been through the mill and looked for work. I know how hopeless it is." "Ashamed of the Government." Warming to his subject, Mr.. Savage said that if the Labour party were on the Treasury Benches and had as little to show for their work as the present Government, he would not be very proud of them. He knew the, unemployment problem could not be solved in live minutes, but the trouble was that this ' Government did not seem to be making ja start. There was a daily procession of unemployed in Auckland from the labour bureau to the relief department j of the Hospital Board. The spectacle was not edifying. These able-bodied men found it difficult to go to the relief department on the first few occasions, but after they had been going there for twelve month's they became disheartened and it seemed the natural thing to do. In tlie end such men did not care whe- < j ther they found work or not. Finally, Mr. Savage declared himself j "sick of political humbug." i No Definite Reply. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, quoted voluminously from records to show how many men had been placed in work. His re- ; marks in this connection will be found in another column. He made no direct reference to Mr. Fletcher's suggestion, but assured the House, that the Government was anxious to solve the unemployment problem. Every suggestion put forward would be seriously considered. Steps were already being taken to carry into effect some of the works sug--1 gested. The Government recognised the present needs, and it had increased the measure of assistance given by the previous Government. There were railway works for which Parliamentary authority had not yet been given. Those works would absorb large numbers of unemployed. The Land Bill would also provide avenues of employment. He looked •forward to the provisions of that bill having the effect of making for wonderful progress. There were other projects in hand not yet sufficiently advanced to describe. At every meeting Cabinet gave serious consideration to the unemployment questions. _ The West Coast, with its rich mineral deposits and marvellous prospective wealth, offered great possibilities said Mr Ransom. He looked forward to the day when the. West Coast would' be ■busier'than ever in. its history.

The Leader of the Opposition, the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, commented on the fact that Mr. Ransom had not replied to Mr. Fletcher or to Mr. Savage. The Minister had appeared to dodge around the facts and had proceeded to throw dust in the eyes of members. The Minister had made much of the potentialities of the West Coa-t and a comparatively small Central Otago dam on which the Government was spending money. Speaking from memory, he believed Parliamentary authority had been given for every proposed railway, including the South Island Main Trunk, but with the possible exception of the Inangaliua line. Mr. Fletcher Impatient. Mr. Fletcher returned to the attack much later in the evening. "I am not satisfied with the reply the Minister of Public Works has given," he said. "I am not satisfied with the description of the potentialities of the South Island in the dim and distant future. I hope the Prime Minister, when he replies, will not also tell us what it is intended to do in the dim future, but what he intends to do right here and now." (Murmurs of assent from Reform and Labour benches).

Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) said Mr. Fletcher had been ignored and snubbed by his own party just because.he had endeavoured to wake them up. The Minister had been too complacent in quoting his figures. The Government now had a bigger problem to grapple with than it had when it took ofliee. Mr. Mason Dissatisfied. '•One can have no hope .that we shall get anything from this Government when they have not given effect to their policy promised in the Governor's Speech three months ago," declared Mr. 11. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs). "I am quite unable to believe that we have anything to hope for after listening to the Minister of Public Works. I have utterly lost any little hope I may have had. There has been far too much talking to hope for much in the way of action. It is now utterly impossible to keep up any pretence that we believe anything will be done, and the last remnant of hope has disappeared." Free Legal Advice. Speaking at 12.45 a.m., Mr. W. E. Barnard, Labour member for Napier, advised Mr. Fletcher that it might be »[)»II»I»IM»IH»I)«»I)»''W»'WM«»" ■■■

necessary for him to cross the floor of the House if he meant to completely vindicate himself. If he did cross the floor he might take up a position among the Independents. "Perhaps," lie added, "he might bo more comfortable here." Mr. Fletcher's constituents would expect him to realise the full importance of bis attitude, and he should, said Mr. Barnard, be prepared to take that step. Mr. Fletcher: Will you back any action I may take against the Government? Mr. Barnard: Yes, I am prepared to do so. Later Mr. Fletcher crossed over to 'the Labour Benches and had a confidential chat with Mr. Barnard. Mr. H. S. Kyle (lliccarton) said the most remarkable feature of the lonodebate was the Government's silence when criticised by Mr. Fletcher and the Labour members. :• At one o'clock the debate was still in ful spate. Mr. H. S. Kyle (Riecarton) said if Mr. Fletcher continued to push his party he would eventually get something Worth while. He Avas, pleading for the workers of Xew Zealand, and would have the support of the Labour benches. The Prime Minister's reply is reported under another heading.