NEWS AND-NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 June 1931, Page 5

NEWS AND-NOTES.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE. Canada may have an unemloyment insurance scheme next year. Speaking in the House of Representatives recent Jv, the Prime Minister said that this year's census would afford infoimation as to the obligations a scheme would involve, and when the information was available the Government would consiuer the question favourably. The system adopted, he said, would have to he on a contributory basis and the provinces would have to assist, because Canada would never stand a system like the British, which necessitated borrowing from the Exchequer. The Canadian proposal is to establish a Federal scheme covering sickness and invalidity as well as unemployment. In the United States on the other haikl, opinion seems to he turning definitely against Government systems and in favour of the organisation of independent schemes for the various main industries. A HUGE SCHEME. Proposals* for the electrification of 20.000 miles of railways, at a cost of £400,000.000 are made in the report of a special Parliamentary Committee, published in London a few weeks ago. The newspiiper reception of the scheme seems to have been in the main cordial. The “Daily Express” and the “Daily Herald” for instance are quire enthusiastic in support. The "Observer” says that the total cost would he only about equal to one year's charge on the War Debt. The "Manchester Guardian” describes it as "pro cisely the kind of industrial development which ought to be passed on with a certain amount of Government assistance.” One great point in favour of the scheme is that while itf,would cheapen and popularise travel, it would trive employment to about 60,000 people for fifteen or twenty years.