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Hokitika Guardian, 30 October 1930, Page 4

The value to New Zealand through being represented at the International Labour Conference in Geneva was stressed by Mr J. Roberts, secretary of the New Zealand Alliance of Labour and the New Zealand workers’ representative at the conference, who returned from abroad last week. “Geneva is worth while to New Zealand,’’ ho said at Wellington in an interview. “This country should Ibe represented there each year to keep in touch with World matters. In relation to Labour matters, Geneva is the world’s centre. Hie tendency is for each country in Europe to establish the same Roars of employment and working conditions in order to allow fair competition for home and foreign markets,’’ Referring to the objects of the conference, Mr Roberts said the main questions i discussed were hours of work of salaried employees, hours of work in coal mines, and forced labour. The great question in Europe was unemployment, which was nre valent iyi every country except Era,nee, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Unemployment in Belgium and Holland was not serious, but un- j employment in all other countries, including Great Britain, was serious, and increasing every week. The American Federation of Labour estimated that there were 6,000,000 unemployed in the United States. The cause of unemployment, he considered, was due to the introduction of labour-saving machinery and the lack of foreign markets, the latter being in turn due to the fact that most countries of the world were now becoming more or less industrial] producers. There were some 3.090 DOO to 3.500.000 unemployed in Germany, and 2,000,000 to 2,500,000 in Great Britain. A serious amount of unemployment existed in Italy, but a great number of Italian workmen found employment in semi-military ocrr’pntions in order to help enforc 0 - [Fascist rule. In connection with New Zealand goods he expressed the opinion that there was not half enough money spent in adveriistingj the Dominion’s produce. While other countries advertised their goods in every conceivable way, one did not see much advertising of New Zealand produce in Great Britain, except in New Zealand House. On the other hand, Australia advertised to a great extent. Australian apples, for instance, were advertised in all buses. He referred also to the butter organisation for the eale of Danish butter.