WORLD PROBLEMS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 77, 28 September 1933, Page 5

WORLD PROBLEMS

UPPEE HOUSE DEBATE

PLIGHT OF UNEMPLOYED

Tho Address-in-Beply debate was continued in the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon. The speakers dealt with a variety of topics, referring in particular to the present-day problems of the world.

The Hon. M. Fagan said that the raising of the exchange had merely resulted in the transfer of money from one section of people of tho Dominion to i.tho other. In another year they would know how much tho inflation of tho exchange had cost the Dominion^ After twenty-seven years' close association with the Public Service, he wished to say that New Zealand had every right to be proud of that service. He had found a surprisingly small amount of "red tape" and wonderful efficiency. Ho had not been surprised at the failure of the World Economic and Monetary Conference,, as it had been doomed to failure before it started. When the Imperial Conference of 1930 arid the Ottawa • Conference had failod, why should they, have expected an international conference to succeed? They had'•' to realise that tho job of rehabilitating New Zealand lay ■ within the Dominion itself. It was misleading, to say that there was little suffering in- New Zealand from unemployment; as tho Hon. W. Snodgrass had stated. There were thousands of good New Zealanders in a poor state, and hundreds suffering from the' direst poverty in the four centres of the Dominion. The unemployment situation was the most serious tho country had to face,, as the 'position of the unemployed was becoming progressively worse. SERIOUS POSITION. When a man was first thrown out of employment he generally had a wellstocked home and perhaps a few pounds, but these resources soon disappeared and the plight of the man and family was a serious one. He'knew of one family which had 2d per person to'spend on meals, and they . had nothing left for clothing and footwear. Another man had 7s 6d a week to provide food for Ms wifo and two children. In this case the wife had been ill, and after she had come out of hospital the doctor had advised that; she would be all Tight if she was built up •with good food. Mr. Snodgrass was out of touch with the unemployment problem. The Leader of the Council: (the Hon. Sir James Parr): What do you Buggest should be done! Mr. Pagan: Put these men on productive work at standard rates of pay. Sir James Parr: That is easier said than done. Mr. Pagan: It will have to. be1 done —it must be done, if the youths; o£ the country are to be provided for and if the men and women of the country are to retain their self-respect. I am not an inflationist, but the problem -must be solved. The Hon. C. J. Carrington, in a personal explanation, said that his criticism of the previous day had not been directed at the personnel of the Public Service, but against the bureaucratic system of centralisation. MENACE TO DOMINION. The Hon. B. McCallurn said that the New-Zealand delegates had done credit to the Dominion in their visit to the World Conference and to the? United States and Canada. He was'pleased to see that the Government was-going to. consolidate. the mortgagor' relief legislation because this action was • absolutely necessary. The time had arrived when the Government should take.steps to curb those who , were monacing the Dominion by their disloyalty. They were receiving their instructions from Moscow, and he urged that these people should be placed on an island in the. Pacific Within the boundaries of'the Dominion. He had in his mind an island in the Cook Group which would serve the purpose. He was not implicating tho Labour :Party in this matter, because that party> stood-for law and order, but he . was directing his remarks- against those-who advocated violence. There was an ' agitation going on in New Zealand 'for the. abolition of .the party system anfl the reform of Parliament. If they, went back on the party system