UNEMPLOYMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 April 1921, Page 4

UNEMPLOYMENT.

ACUTE POSITION ARISING. [by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, April 20 A deputation from the Progress League and Returned Soldiers’ Association waited on Sir Francis Bell and the Hon G. J. Anderson to-day regarding unemployment and urged that the position be dealt with before it became acue, and that returned soldiers should receive preference in Government departments and not be dismissed now. Sir F. Bell, in reply, said that immigration bad been stopped for some time, but it bad not been possible to I stop at once a number of Imperial soldiers that the Imperial Government bad asked should he received. Returned soldiers wore in a, different position from other unemployed, as there still wore Repatriation Boards for assisting them. The Government was not going to he merciless. Arrangements were being made to prevent distress, but they had not enough money to provide loea bodies with funds to carry out works. It was clear however, that there must he sufficient money for public works to prevent poverty and hardship. Hon G. J. Anderson said that private persons should not put off hands to increase the unemployed if they_ had funds to keep going.

UNEMPLOYMENT IN ENGLAND. *LONDON, April 19 There are 56,000 workers unemployed and over 170,000 men idle in the engineering and iron foundering trades.