OUR "UNEMPLOYMENT" PROBLEM

Chronicle (Levin), 29 September 1947, Page 4

OUR "UNEMPLOYMENT" PROBLEM

DREARY PICTURE 0F LEVIN GIVEN CITY DWELLERS Apparently venturing north as far as Levin for the first time, a Wellington reporter recently inf ormed city newspap.er readers that Levin, had an unemployment prcblem On its hands. Levin, according to the heading on the article, "offered no jobs for men"

Fearing that the oft-fore-casted, world-wide trade recession had hit Levin silently and unawares, "The Chronicle" set out to make enquiries about Levin's unemployment problem. It was found, surprisingly enough, that there are no unemployed" registered in Levin town or district, nor, stated the National Employment Department, Palmerston North, were there any unemployed men registered in its area, unless three partially disabled. persons, for whom it was difficult to find suitable work at the present moment, could be included in that category. Perhaps the Wellington scribe had been reading about Bfitain's "spivs." But Oxford Street seems empty- of "spivs." "While industry reaches out into the country towns in search of labour, it is by-passing Levin," the Wellington journdlfst vorote, observing that this was "the complaint of many of the younger people of the town, more especially the men, who claim they must go out of Levin for work." It is not likely that the Wellington journalist made this assertion after a gallup poll among _ the younger citizens of Levin, nor is it likely that he studied the movepient of town population over a period of years. The flaw in the writer's hasty conclusion would appear to lie in the number of men in the town who were born here, schooled here, and who still work here. The younger generation does not appear to be haggard and worried at the thought of carving out a future in the allegedly futureless Levin. Branching out to quote a lone P. and T. Department linesman, the article went on to say: "This toion is run by ' old people." The fac.t that the younger generation show a marked reluctance to take up the burden of guiding eommunity life is' hardly confined to Leyin. Even political parties have difficulty in inspiring -youth to flock to their banners. The majority of the elderly council 'members have carried on purely because of a lack of younger contestants. Closer observation of this town would show that from a business point of view it is essentially a young man's stronghold, and this fact has been the subject of eomment from many visitors. Members of the professions and heads of business firms are for the greater part young men, who are keen citizens and taking an active interest in the town's affairs and eommunity organisations. "There was much bitterness in ■the borough over the fact that after negotiations 'over a factory site between a tobacco company amd the Borough Council, the tobacco company had decided to establish its factory in a neighbouring town," continued the writer's informant. This "negotiation" is unknown to the Borough Council. The town clerk, Mr. H. L. Jenkins, has stated that at no time have there been any negotiations between a tobacco company and the council. Nothing was known offieiaily about this company extendipg its operations untii it was publicised . that it was .sjetting up a small factory in a neighbouring town. "Lthink' that when the matter is looked into, it ,will be found that the reason they opened in this neighbouring town was because they were able to obtain the lease of a suitable building," he added. The position at the moment, said Mr. Jenkins, seemed to be largely that firms extending their operations into the country towns have to look for suitable buildings already erected. An. empty building in Levin was something of a rarity. , Another point nu the article which calls for comment was that: "A sore point with a shopkeeper, also questioned, was hfs claim that busloads of people left the town for work every day. Already they shopped outside the town for many thinc/s." Closer enquiries revealed both these statements to be exaggeration. Only one bus leaves Levin each day for wofk in outside areas. It takes one European and five Maori female workers from Levin!

and the remainder of its load . is A collected from between Ohau and Otaki, its destination. Levin is notoriously a good business town and the envy of many larger centres. Had the writer pursued his enquiries on a wider scale, he would have found that the businessmen of this town are more than satisfied with the "deal" they receive from local residents, and state that customers come from as far south as Paraparaumu,, and from Tokomaru and Oroua Downs in the north. Bus es run daily from Otaki and Foxton. Returning to the labour question, the report says: Even female labour is apparently not over - short in Levin. Oue clothing factory. displays the usual "Girls wanted " sign, but a small light - industrial concern is rumoured to have a waiting list because of the attr active conditions it offers. Other girls go to an Otaki factory every day— half an hour's travel away. Checking on this, "The Chronicle" found that one factory manufacturing clothing required ■ 20 girls and six skilled men. A Mental Hospital Department institution at Weraroa is always seeking staff, both rnale And female. There are also large male staffs at the Boys' Training Centre. A survey of the industries, local bodies and other sources of labour in Levin revealed that though the majority were at present fully staffed, the position was not as grim as the newspaper would have the outside public believe. Nearly every industry and business has plans for expansion, but the present building restrictions are meanwhile preventing this. Should these restrictions be lifted there would be vacancies for those of school leavitig age in many trades in Levin, and also for trained men who wished to establish themselves in the town. The statement that there are "no jobs for men in Levin" is considered by most residents and business people here as altogether too sweeping. In regard to the local bodies, scarcity of material and machinery is holding up large scale operations, on which large numbers would be employed. " This situation is common to all centres in the Dominion. It is a fact that certain students of the local schools and college find difficulty in establishing themselves in this town in the spheres in which. they have. been studying, and this was the subject of discussion at a recent meeting of the Levin Junior Chamber of Commerce. The fact remains, however, that the town is growing rapidly and this position may right itself to a large degree with time. The heading and wording of the article under discussion. could be misconstrued by other centres to mean that this town is rapidly degenerating. Against this are the following facts: Levin's population has increased to 3400. Permits issiied for new private dwellings for the year ended March 31, 1947, totalled 67. Since then 32 further permits have been issued. The previous year 58 permits were issued and in 1945 there were 34. Comparing other towns of similar size to Levin, it is found that during the year ended March 31, 1947, permits issued for private buildings in Marton totalled; 20,' Feilding 22, Waipukurau 41, ^.nd Dannevirke 1 J. Asked to commeht op • the *5 State housing position ffi -Levin, -'the resi- - dent officer of the state Advances Corporation in Palmerston North, told "The Chronicle" that he had a • waiting list of 150 for State houses tn Levin. Of those, 50 were returned servicemen. "Levin is a problem child for me. I can't nearly satisfy the demand there," he stated: Levin had already 63 occupied State houses, and this alone gave it a claim for a fair proportion of the Dominion's quota. "Levin is my biggest headache," he continued. He said he would. welcome an opportunity of helping the people there, and ad'ded that he considered it a "solid and progressive little town." It is not the policy of "The Chronicle" to embark on criticisms of artieles in other publications, but in this instance- it cannot refrain from eorrecting one which was apparently. based on a few casual observations, and which was certainly not conducive to the future well being> of the town, which is one of the most progresisive rural centres in the Dominion.