UNEMPLOYMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 3 July 1930, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT

STATE’S EXPENDITURE

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, July 2

A general survey of the Government’s efforts to relieve unemployment was made by the Hon. E. A. Ransom, former Minister oi Public Works, and in the course of it some impressive figures were mentioned. Combating the allegation that many men are unable to earn 10s a day, he Minister said the general average of over 5000 was Fls a day, and, taking all the unemployed under the Government control, the annual cost per man lor wages, housing and general expenses, excluding engineering was £350.

The number of men provided with work since the present Government came into office was 31.233. including ''’0,346 on' Government work, 6310 with local bodies and 4568 in private employment. The Government had placed 4032 men since April 1 and during the same period 11,287 had left the works of their own accord, some- possibly because they would not continue aftei a fortnight’s period on 14s a day, •and preferred to return to the unemployed list, but mostly because they could get more satisfactory work, elsewhere. During the present financial year 16,031 men had been engaged in Government works and provision was now made 'for a further 920 200 in '■ nckland, 130 in ‘Wellington, 150 in 'liristehurch, 50 in Dunedin and the rest in smaller centres.

The Minister quoted detailed figures of the expenditure for the last three years to show the rapidly-increasing amount. The expenditure in 1929-30 consisted of: Public works, £914,000: Mate Forest Service. £185,400; lands £518,725; railway and land development work, £184,739. Then there vei e subsidies to local bodies, totalling

Mil ,728 last year, .showing a gross expenditure in one year by the Government of £1,415.592, or more than that spent in the previous two years.