The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 193O. THE UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 February 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1930. THE UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM.

In the cities particularly, there is much anxiety about the unemployed problem, in each of the four centres ol New Zealand it is being realised that with the approach of winter, in the lace of untoward events of late, *- Jj e prospects for general employment are not promising. Bad and all as the circumstances are in this Dominion, they are infinitely worse in Australia., where even appeals for cast-off clothing tor the needy are being made over the wireless. However, the New Zealand plight is serious enough in this respect, and the problem must be lated. Experience lias proved that there is hoc any rough or ready means ol carrying the aspect of affairs. No stroke of statesmanship is possible to suddenly alter matters. All over the world Ministers and Parliaments are grappling with the ever present subject, but a royal road to relief is not opening. It is the practice to blame the government, but the best any Government can do is to attempt palliatives. The present Government has done a j great deal in that respect, and much nas been done to iiticl employment over a limited period, but the future looms ahead, and it is a question how long, tne palliatives can last, in other words, | what funds arc available to maintain j i. larue army of workmen in employment at all lucrative. The Government has designed a land settlement development policy as a means to assist the situation, but that cannot he established on the spur of the moment. We are told that the best hope of reducing unemployment lies in increased

production. The land c-an be brought into profit for that purpose, and industries, primary and secondary, can help, but it is difficult to co-ordinate general action so as to afford immenate benefit. The problem of unemployment we are told is one of supply iiid demand. To create the demand, iroductive industries require expansion jilt this throws the onus on private enterprise, and there a fresh difficulty arises—funds being essential, it would be well for the Government effort to be directed, however, towards productive work, rather than merely to relief work. In the cities the local bodies’ funds are largely directed in this respect to relief work, and that in jail,s' in the end an impost on t lie community. There is a price to pay all the time for unemployment, and it is a drag on progress. In some quarters the dole is being advocated, but the experience in other places does not encourage its adoption in New Zealand. The dole appears to have the tendency to create a fresh problem, the unemployable, and that should be avoided by all means. Better temporally relief works than the d(ale. The Government has given close study to- the New Zealand situation, and tne data available now should suggest where works of a reproductive nature can be undertaken. Following a speeding up of the land development policy, railway and other public works suggest the best means of mefeting the situation by providing employment, and' this" should' be in the direction of extending roads and railways of immediate service. The Ross railway extension which is in the minds of the people this week, it is clear, would directly an.d. indirectly be of service in providing .useful employment. In the construction ' of the line' itself there would be' room for considerable labour, while the opening up of the country for industry would make further demands, and so private enterprise would proceed hand in lnind with the public expenditure. The unemployment problem is an all-round evil, and calls for action to meet" the situation by all wlio can help. An* important district undertaking suen as the prosecution of the South Westland railway would prove a material aid to meet the general situation.