UNEMPLOYMENT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 206, 26 May 1921, Page 4

UNEMPLOYMENT

THE GOVERNMENT’S MEASURES DUTY OF LOCAL BODIES The schemes adopted by the Government for dealing with unemployment are coming into operation gradually. Works arranged by the Public Works Department and the Forestry Department have been started at various points, and extensions are being made as they are deemed by the authorities to te necessary. It is not the policy if the Government to attempt to absorb all the labour that is seeking employment, hut ar. effort is being maeje to prevent serious distress arising at any point. The Acting-Prime Minister (Sir Francis Bell) made a statement on this point vesterday. He said that the public must not expect the Government to find work for every man who was out of a job. The Government could not undertake to do this all over New Zealand, and its preparations for dealing with unemployment must te regarded’ as supplementary to other efforts. He looked _to the local bodies to assist in .absorbing the men who were unemployed within their areas. The men placed on Government unemployment .works are being paid at the rates of 16s. a day for single men without dependants and 12s. a day for married men and’, single men with dependants. These rates admittedly are not high, but th? amount of money at the disposal of the Government for the relief of unemployment is limited.. The funds have to be conserved in view of the possibility of unemployment becoming more extensive in the later month* of the winter.