WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1930, Page 3

WELLINGTON NEWS

SOCIAL SERVICES AND COSTS

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, April 5..

According to some members of the Labour Party the figures with respect to unemployment are being concealed, and if this is so it. is a blunder. It is essential that the country should know, the volume of unemployment which is likely to expand during the next three or four months. 01' course something must be done to prevent starvation, hut that alone is the duty of the Government of the day; it is however' not the duty of the'Government to find work for the workless, at least that appears to be the opinion of some men whose opinions are worthy of consideration. It is obviously not the function of the Government to tax one section of the community for another, yet a glaring example of this is shown by the Socialist Government ati Home. The worker if left alone may be trusted to work out his own salvation but here and in Australia he has been saddled with -the Arbitration Court and its awards, and the leaders have taught him to regard the standard of living as something very sacred. It cannot too often be stated that economic laws are inexorable and all efforts to circumvent them are bound to fail. So far both here and in Britain palliatives are being tided, but unemployment refuses to yield to "palliatives. There is only one sure soln--tion and that is to bring down the cost of production to the economic level; it is to-day very much above that level. None of us are willing to tackle tiie job of bringing, down the costs, and perhaps there is no need to do so for the costs must come down, as the process is automatic. The unemployed will break through Arbitration Court awards, and small blame to them, for it is surely more spirited and more honourable of them both to themselves and the community that they should adopt the old time policy of accepting half a loaf if a whole one is not available, rather than accept the bread of charity. They will break through and thus break the Arbitration Court with its fallacies of standard wages, standard of living and its dead hand that has hold of conditions and restrictions of industry. It is not correct to sav that there is no work offering in the country, on the contrary there is a great deal of work available but at it cost not aibove the economic level. 'Hie unemployed problem is likely to

develop some sensational features liefore many, weeks AUSTR ALI AN AVHE ATO ROWELS. The Federal Government favours a wheat pool for Australia with a guarantee of 4s per bushel. The Federal Ministry which is not remarkable for a collective brilliancy of brains, has embarked, on a plan which O'-n only be worked out along a path beset with difficulties. First it seems there is the necessity of passing legislation in Victoria and South and Western Australia to provide for taking the polls of producers in all wheat growing States. Then a poll has to ''be taken which will have to receive the

assent of presumably sixty per cent of the growers b> the establishment of the compulsory pool. Following this the Federal Parliament will he called upon to enact legislation setting out a. compulsory pool, and finally arrangements will have to be made for financin'” Dm ”tv> which may require as much as £40.009.000. of ready money. Win- +h-' Federal Ministry chose to make the guaranteed advance subject to the acceptance by. farmers of a compulsory contract pool is clear only to time ’•cc.o f-ijt,’. has been pinned to “orderly marketing,” “market control,” and other forms of socialistic enterprise. The “Argus” says: “Unless farmers are qxpecting a very low price for wheat next season and are prepared to accept the charity of the general taxpayer there should bo little in a guarantee of 4s per bushel to attract them. The need for Australia to produce more produce for export overseas is apparent to all, and if wheatgrowers are in a position to plant an area larger than usual, they should be prepared to do so. Government should stand behind them and do all possible to assist in the reduction of working costs.” Pools, whether voluntary or compulsory, are powerless to manipulate world mar-, kets for all markets are governed by the law of supply and demand. Produce more at a lower cost is the only way out. High post-yvar- prices are not to bo expected, and that lieing so the position should be faced. Orderly marketing is an attractive slogan but it means nothing except to those employed to operate the orderly market.