The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1933. UNEMPLOYMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 February 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1933. UNEMPLOYMENT.

The fact that the British Government haii had to confess that unemployment .amnot be wiped out for a considerable period, shows how difficult the world situation is. In the northern hemisphere, the international ,r osition is the main factor creating the difficulty 'for ordinary industry and development to absorb the available workmen. And those conditions react in the southern hemisphere which depends on. the markets of the northern hemisphere: for the major portion of .the trading, Till war debt issue* are settled, there is not likely to be much daylight let in on the matter of a satisfactory adjustment. The drain of the war debt- payments has upset the economic situation, and nations concerned are in very difficult eireuinstances. Britain has done a great deal for unemployment, and the Governments, past and present, have been strongly attacked for not doing more i-o cure the situation. The Ministers at Home are now being taunted for their allege:! supiness, _ and it was in reply to the strictures that Mr Neville Chamberlain ventured to prophesy it would require a decade of time to settle the question! Just as there is an insuperable difficulty at Home, so New Zealand in common with other countries fe facing a problem impossible readily to solve. The Government sc-t up the Unemployment Board in 1930' to handle the matter, and various schemes of a. palliative nature are in force for the relief of unemployment, hut no cure lias been suggested as yet. The cessation of the public, works policy, particularly i,u regard to railways and hydro works 1 for tie reason that loan money was being exhausted, threw hundreds of men out of employment, and the general progress of the depression period has added to the number. There is a total now of fifty to sixty thousand registered males unemployed, and no immediate prospect of permanent work being obtainable. The Government must continue to dsfen 1 large public works schemes because there is not the uherewithal to pay 'for them. Private employers are not able to do more than they are in keeping with their industrial wants, and the position remains discouraging. There are hopes that the war debt situation will he eased this year, and free more money for industry and .enterprise. Taxation will require to he reduced to help the private employer, and more encouragement must be given where it can to help industrial development. Wages have been reduced to help the position, but with the 'taxation since imposed. the intention has been defeated, and the registrations of the unemployed are not decreasing, to'her the jeverse. It is not pleasant to contemplate the outlook with the winter sealson drawing near. There will he more demands on the avail aide funds to assist the needy unless relief can come quickly from the war debt settlement. If prices could lift for the Dominion produce, the flow of money would helo internal prosperity, and a favouring change would come to pass. That that may now eventuate is one of the most urgent needs of tile country at large.