8000 OUT OF WORK

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3003, 14 February 1917, Page 8

8000 OUT OF WORK

SYDNEY'S UNEMPOYED

PUBLIC BORROWING

' CURTAILED

' 'An interesting statement on tho financial position was , made by Mr. Holraan (Premier of New South Wales) on February 6 in Sydney, in Teply to a deputation that waited on him in connection with tho unemployment .problem. Mr. Ilolman detailed some of tho difficulties -which had beset, the Government during the last two years of tvar, and said that tho prospects of a' lengthy strugglo had induced tho Imperial Government to shut down on all loans, except for tho purposo of helping to; win, the war. The; deputation,• -which was from the Labour Council •of New South Wales, was introduced by. Mr., 15. J. Kavaiiagh, M.L.C., secretary of that body. Mr. Kavariagli said that tho Trades and Labour Council had recently appointed a special committee to go into tho whole matter of unemployment. The .result showed that between 7000 and 8000 men were unemployed. Returns from the country had yet to come in. It was desired that the Government should try to obtain money sufficient to enable it to carry oil public works on tho same lines as the previous Government.

Tho Premier, in reply, said lie fully realised the'importance of tho mission on which they had come to him, and lie did not feel disposed to bandy words or argue with them. It was a very • greaty misfortune that so much unemployment should exist, and the Government would take whatever steps were possible to minimise hardship. As . . a matter of fact, something had already been done during the past fortnight. At the same time, ho asked them to remember that the country was now -suffering a calamity wliicli, but for. the . most strenuous exertions on the part ; of. the Government, would have been . experienced two years ago.,' He had been personally engager! in trying to keep public works going and men in normal employment right through the ■' abnormal war period, and only by the • most exhaustive efforts had lie succeeded in doing it until very recently. In other States the misfortune had fallen very much earlier, and large numbers \if men who were cast out of work had come to New South Wales and been jibsorhed. The Government had been criticised in certain uuarters for what was considered an injudicious policy in time of war —that' is, for faying to raise loan moneys abroad at necessarily enhanced rates of interest. The ■*Ndrton Griffiths, agreement, too, had -'been criticised; but it v had had the effect of securing to tlie Government cach year a certain minimum sum— •£4,000,000 in the first year,, and .£2,000,000 in the second. They had had that £6,000,000, and it had all ■ been spent on finding employment. Some/ of it has been spent through the Department of Public Works, but the whole sum raised has been spent on • public works. The stoppage of the city railway was brought about by reason of a. shortage of steel; but the ihoney for that work lias been spent elsewhere. There.has been no failure to use tho money, and no effort lias been spared by tlie - Treasurer to keep men going on development works. "Recently, however, the entire situation changed. The Imperial Government, faced with the: need for Imperial loans, and finding it could not count on an early cessation, of the war, has placed an embargo on borrowers, except for war purposes.

Borrowing Curtailed. , . "Up till six months ago,"'tho Premier continued, "we had the full consent of the Imperial Government to continue along the old lines, and to then made arrangements to carry on until January. I may say, and it is important that it should be realised', that every farthing of. expenditure by this Government, right up to last Christmas, ■ was approved by Mr. If'Kenna (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and endorsed by: the British Government. • But at Christmas we were told that borrowing could only be sanctioned on a very limited scale, and even ihen there could not be any guarantee that our requirements would be met. That intimation really came in •October, but its effect began to be felt at Christmas time, when we were called on to reduce our scale of operations. Having been accustomed to spend at the rate of £8.000.000, we can now only spend £5,000,000, and we shall be amongst tlie favoured if we can get it. We have to work to that amount, without even being able to guarantee that we will get it."

Mr. Holman proceeded to outline the Government's suggestions. It was proposed, he said, < to• give preference in all cases to men with families or dependents, and to organise thoroughly the Labd\ir Exchanges throughout tlie State, so that men desiring to try their luck, in the country, would be able to seek 'and secure advice. That would overcome.the difficulty mentioned by 'Aid. Burke. Preference would also he given to loeal men; He disliked havinrr to distinguish between men of the different States, hut at a time like this it had to he done.. "As soon anil •is fast as the financial situation eases." hejvent on. "we shall do something to improve conditions: Jntt it would be useless to hold out illusory hopes at the present time. If we were giving an undertaking I>.v the unions that they would accept, a shortened week, such as we had during the Broken Hill crisis, when the mines closed down and work had to be found for those thrown -out of employment, .we would be prepared to adopt such a scheme, with a view to a -more-equitable distribution of the, work . But without the- cooperation, of,'the men themselves, it would be useless to Ivy and carry such a proposition into effect."