TEE QUESTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 11 June 1921, Page 1

TEE QUESTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT

IS THERE ANY REMEDY FOR IT? (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League.) But a little while ago we found our Dominion in the happy position of being free from any stagnation of trade, and more demand for labour than there were workers to supply. A change has come about and now we hear the cry of unemployment tliroughot the land. In facing the problem we are met with the same difficulties as confronts us in dealing with some other social questions in the absence of exact, reliable data from which to judge. What is the nature and extent of the unemployment? is a question difficult to an SW er. All evil that attaches to the proper handling of this matter is that it is made far too much of ‘a party issue. The Socialist politicians make up figures to present the number of un employed os hems 'cry “< steadily increasing. This « expect as they are always anxious Ao eieatc >c ■ content and unrest. Their statement tin, ear is an extreme one. On the other hand it appears to »» ll| at tl Government, which wants to show things as ttootl as possible, sees to the opposite extreme in unde, stating, if „ot P even underestimating, the Id the tronhie to bo dealt F„, the sake of those who are. m the fortunate position of being out of Should like to - the problem , • • m.innees dealt with on party lines, "why 1 should the unemployed and thoir hard conditions be mad ti e shuttlecock of contending parti ■ Party ranglcs will not ft* them wha thev require. We no more belime tht the Government is the cause of the pr sent unemployment than we would hat e credited it with the great demand for labour that previously obtained The causes of the present situation nro we believe, well known to all. The drop in the price of on* or two °f on staple frodnets. partie»Wy wool the restriction of industrial which the Banks have found it nece.,Tto enforce, have been the mam causes of checking operations ,n several directions, whirl, has limited the demand for labour. «,s whether the restriction of ontp coal produetion. the enehanema of the easts in shilling transport and the general lavishness of expenditure m Government Departmets have been rather important contributory can**The adage that “we cannot ent our cake and have it too” applies here Fm some rears we have been living high and neglecting to develop the productive resources and Tudustries of our Rtf™ion until the inevitable halt was »d. Now that the unemployed are wLh us ip considerable numbers we find the only effort at solution being present'd is the old. and to our thinking, som'what wasteful method of relief works, Tt is certainly more wasteful from • 11 economic standpoint to have work done at 10/- per day by men. who know nothing about it. and are unfitted for- it, than it would be to pay competent men prt/j The Relief system is certainly no solution. At this' time it might be well to have some review of Industrial conditions instituted in ordei to discover whether there are any means to stimulating the same or not If we face matters in a spirit ot entire pessimism we are mostlikely to make conditions worse rather than better. Yhe Government might consider the advisability of inviting some of the ablest men, both employers and employed, to form a voluntary Roard to investigate and advise upon this _whole subject. We believe that there are men in business and men in Trade Unions, who would carry through such investigation on non-political lines with advantage a the people seeking employment and benefit from the Dominion. The whole matter of our unemployed citizens appears to lie dealt with too much on The lines, of drift, official direction and political fooling. We urge (ho need <d dealing with the issue on th- broader basis of independent investigation and such direction as will give the liest iosults to the individual and the state.