WHERE EVERYBODY WORKS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1930, Page 7

WHERE EVERYBODY WORKS

Even father works in France —which seems to be the one important country in the world where there is no unemployment. This contrasts with the millions of jobless in the United States, Germany, Great Britain and other industrial countries. In fact, as we read in “European Finance” (London) France’s problem is to find enough workers to do the work. Indeed, “she has exhausted all home supplies of labour, and is obliged to comb out other countries to obtain the additional contingent necessary for carrying on industrial operation in France.” 'Hie London weekly goes on :

“At one time France could secure workers from Italy; but this frontier is now practically closed against the inflow of labour into France. Nor can much assistance be expected (from the French possessions in (the north of Africa, because the continuous development of industry and agriculture in these countries is rapidly absorbing all the available .surplus labour. About 50,000 Austrians and Hungarians have found employment in France during the past few months, but this contingent is insignificant in comparison with the extent of the demand. France has scarcely any other alternative than to open the door to unemployed workers from the eastern countries of Europe, who in some respects, mainly on account of the lack of education and the general low level of culture, are not entirely suitable for the conditions in Western Europe, The prevailing crisis in the Polish coal industry has induced large numbers of Polish miners to emigrate to France, where they are mostly engaged (for work in the potash and coal mines. These Polish workers earn in France twice as much cs they did in Po'land for a much shorter working day; and even though the cost of living for them may be high er in France than in their homeland, the net advantage is on their side. In addition to the unsatisfactory conditions in the European coal mines, the general crisis in the textile trades, and agriculture in particular, have created a surplus of European workers available for absorption in the French industries.”

Many French factories are unable to meet the demand for goods, because of inability to secure sufficient workers. Moreover, “building operation have not been able to keep pace with this growing industrial activity, with the result that there is a. great shortage of housing accommodation for the workers, seriously aggravated by the influx o>f workers from abroad.”