TACKLING UNEMPLOYMENT

Evening Star, Issue 19784, 7 February 1928, Page 6

TACKLING UNEMPLOYMENT

STATEMENT BY PREMIER CO-ORDINATION OF OFFICIAL EFFORT OUTLOOK MORE CHEERFUL [Special to the ‘Star.’] WELLINGTON, February 7. The Prime Minister was interviewed by your correspondent on the subject of unemployment, and obtained an important statement, showing that, so far as governmental responsibility for relief is concerned, the co-ordination of official effort has been achieved, and the Auckland situation is now receiving attention.

“An officer who is devoting his whole time to the question and a member of the Prime Minister’s Department who has bad the handling of the unemployment question all along is now in Auckland,” stated the Premier. “He will consult those concerned, and he has certain instructions which will enable the position to be relieved to some extent. If, in his opinion, it is necessary for mo to visit Auckland 1 intend personally to attend to the matter. Other centres are also being alien ded to.”

Mr Coates was asked what progress had been made in bringing together all the factors in tho State departments capable of providing relief, and to what extent the programme had been developed. “ The difficulty,” he replied, “ is that our programmes nave been pushed ahead to assist the unemployed. 1 don’t think I will, at this stage, discuss the actual nature of the programme, for obvious reasons. We want to get everybody io assist in this national responsibility as far as practicable It needs attention in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wanganui, Napier, and Palmerston North, where there are unemployed, though tho exact totals I am not prepared to state. .1 can only- take what is reported to me by public men in these centres and tlio.se actually registered at tho labor offices. The Government’s programme will be indicated as soon as we arc in a position to state the extent of co-ordinated effort for assistance. This is a responsibility which rests on everybody’s shoulders. The Government's Unemployment Committee worked during tlie recent holiday's, and has dealt with all aspects.” The Prime Minister pointed out that the present situation is not peculiar to Nfw Zealand. Unemployment is widespread,, due to the general economic depression as the result ot the gradual flattening out of world prices.

“Under these conditions,” he continued, “ tho tanner cannot employlabor. How can he? He is struggling as best he can without outside help. His costs are still at peak, while nis returns are fluctuating; but the farmer in New Zealand was never bottcr equipped in regard to knowledge, and the aid ot scientific research will help. He has all these factors, and, applying them with labor without stint (for the farmer does not worry about the hours he works per day), lie will pull through. However, his costs of transportation and manufacturing and all the charges Ids produce has to Dear before it reaches the market remain high. The material he uses is high priced, though so far as actual machinery is concerned by far the bulk of it is free from Customs tax, so far as the Empire is concerned.”

The premier concluded in a reassuring strain. “In spite of it all,” lie declared, cheerfully, “ our larmors have undoubtedly made great progress in increasing production, i have seen many cases where in 191 U-20 the returns amounted to £SOU, with butter at half a crown, while to-day these small places last year took £I,OOO to £1,250 and in one instance £1,500, showing what has been done by improved animal husbandry increasing the outputs per cow and improving the land; but with high costs these farmers arc still up against it. They do not mind bard work so long as they seo some encouragement in future prospects, and I believe there are deli nite signs of a silver lining to the clouds.”