The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1929.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 July 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1929.

LABOUR. AND UNEMPLOYMENT. -Must people must I,eel iJiat the Labour memoers made a tactical mistake on l'riday in tlie House, in holding up tne Imprest Supply Hill so persistently to tahi about unemployment. No. doubt unemp.oyment is one of the most important and urgent problems that the country has to face, but there is nothing to be gained by pretending that the Government does not realise this, and has done nothing to meet the situation. Howtyrar, ( the Labour Party was bent on making political capital out of the occasion, and pressed matters so far us to call down the wru<vh of Ministers. Rebuking the Labour party for having carried on a protracted debate on the first reading of the Imprest Supply Bill when their, sole topic was the amount of unemployment in the country, the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, stated in n speech that he didn’t mind a long debate on the Imprest Bill iso long as it was fairly done. “However,” ■he said, “I must confess my surprise that this Imprest Supply Bill should be used for party purposes. I can come to no other conclusion than that the Labour party used it for that purpose. This bill contains a clear outline of what is required to carry on; indeed it is an exact copy of the bill introduced last year, and I am surprised at the concerted behavious to turn it into a party machine to find fault with the Government. Some members have been specially solicitous for the unemployment in this country. I want to remind tire House of the position the Governriient is in. Some members have been speaking as though they would bring forth. a different position, and produde a different Supply Bill. I shall quote actual figures showing expenditure, and its results, in the Government’s efforts to relieve unemployment,” said Sir Joseph Ward. “The previous Government’s expenditure from May 24th. 1926 to March 31st. 1927, totalled £130,000; from April Ist. 1927 to March 31st. 1928, £397,560 on Government works and £75,106 in subsidies to local bodies, and from April Ist. 1928 to March 31st. 1929, £729,393 on Government works and £66,566 in subsidies.” He added that since the present Government came into office it had either provided or promised subsidies to local bodies, involving £125,000 for relief works, and several requests were under consideration. It had sent approximately ■ 5500 men to public works, including forestry. While the number of employees on public works at June 23rd. 1928, was 11,58-5, the number employed for the week ended June 22nd. last was 12,702. There had been a reduction in numbers recently owing to several . important highway works having been completed. The Prime Minister ’asked the Labour party whether they approved of the principle of finding work immediately for men who Inive been put off works which were completed. That had never been done in this country in similar circumstances; To adopt such a theory would require, the backing of the whole country, and legislation to carry it into effect. Sir Joseph reler* red to this theory as “New found and precipitous.” How, he askek, cou'd the Government be expected to find work for men who were put off works which were completed, and in respect of which the available money had been exhausted ? Some members -had seemed to suggest that the Government could make money ou| nf nothing. To do what was suggested was not a practical proposition, and never would be. When the member for Lyttelton proclaimed against the Government for neglect in Canterbury, . that member had shut his eyes to the fact that £25,OCO had been offered Canterbury for the relief of unemployment. At the present moment Labour would have done better, in its own interests and tile interests of the country, to expedite the work of the House so as to enable the Government to get on with the great task of reconstruction and reorganisation imposed upon it by the earthquake. The “New Zealand Herald,” commenting on “the vast amount of \\Vrk to be done in repairing damaged houses and restoring public services” in the stricken districts, sugests that the Government will be hard put to it “to mobilise sufficient labour, material and money to restore order and comfort in the devastated areas.” This certainly is the Coverninient’s most immediate duty, and in so doing it will find work for a very, large proportion of the unemployed. • j