NO UNEMPLOYED

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 4004, 1 October 1929, Page 3

NO UNEMPLOYED

PRIME MINISTER’S PROMISE.

ALL AT WORK IN FIVE WEEKS

“I will undertake to say that in live weeks there will be in New Zealand no unemployed men capable of going to work,” declared the Prime Minister (Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) when replying in the House of Representatives at 2.10 a.m. on Saturday to a discussion that had had unemployment as its leading theme. / The announcement was made/ at the end of one of the keenest,, debates this session has witnessed. The Imprest Supply Bill gffve the opportunity for a free tU'scussion, and significantly it was/a. Government member, Mr. J. /g. Fletcher (Grey Lynn), who the tone for the debate. As li<k( previously been reported, he declared at the outset that lie wanteiKto hear the Government’s suggestions for meeting the unemployment difficulty before he would agree lo the passing of supplies. At a hitter stage he expressed bint self as definitely dissatisfied v dhjthe. reply made by the Minis-BY-of 'Public Works (Hon. E. A. Ransom) on behalf of tlie Govern■i t, and demanded from the Minister then and there an

nmwm'ieenient of what was to be donw.

Meanwhile, Labour members had been hammering at Sir Joseph Ward only slightly less embarrassingly, while the views of some Reform members were expressed with equal plainness. Therefore, in spite of tho lateness of the homy Sir Joseph Ward had a thoroughly alert audience when lie set out to explain 'exactly what the Government’s policy was. “WILL NOT BE DRIVEN.” “I am very sympathetically disposed toward the unemployed, but 1 do not want to, be put in a wrong position by anyone in this House,” said the Prime Minister. “As long as I am Prime Minister I will endeavour to do to the best of my ability, but I am not going to bs driven into a proposal that by a combination may be put upon me. 1 said in' the Budget that during- the recess the Government was going into the question of insurance against unemployment, and an effort has been made to make me do it in this session. I have arranged tor unemployment insurance to be fully investigated, find I hope the outcome will enable me to submit a mature scheme on the subject, but there is much to be done before I can submit au insurance scheme. To expect a measure of the-sort this session is to expect the impossible. -Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central): Then you will have to give way to som'eone else.

The Prime Minis tea': I am prepared to give way to someone else when they turn me out, but that will not be the end of it.

Continuing, the Prime Minister said lie felt anxious about making pi ovision Tor the 'unemployed, but local bodies which had received large contributions from the Government were expected to do their duty. Auckland now had sufficient •authority locally to draw the £1 for £1 subsidy on the £25,000 authorised Two or three months ago, and a duty devolved on that city to go ahead.

Air. R. McKcen (Labour, Wellington South): They only get £1 for £1 on the labour. The Prime Minister said the Government never gave a subsidy on materials. He had recently made a grant of £l5O to -assist the homeless in Auckland.

Mr. R. Semple (Labour, Wellington East): Let us get them Work.

IN FIVE WEEKS. “We meet every case Avithin reason that comes before us,” said the ■Prime /Minister. “The expenditure on unemployment has been prodigious. The question has been discussed at every meeting of Cabinet in the last three or four months. , I cannot honestly say I Avill take up the member -for Grey Lynn’s scheme, but I Avill undertake to say that in five weeks there will be in New Zealand no' unemployed men capable of going to work. Under the land legislation of the Government it is hoped to find employment lor many of those out of work. We Avill deal with the matter in a practical Avay.”

The statement that all the unemployed in Ncav Zealand Avoukl be employed AA r ithiii live Aveeks avss welcomed by the Leader of the Labour Party (Aik'. H. E. Holland), avlio said he \vas prepared to accept the Prime Minister’s statement and would pledge the support of the Labour Party, both inside the House and outside of it, to the proposal. in five -weeks’ time the House would still be sitting, and the Prime Minister could be assured of the support of the Parliamentary Labour Party. “BIGGEST THING YET.” Commenting ou the Prime Minister’s announcement, Air. Fletcher said that of all the big things the Prime Minister had done, the present promise would write his name on the hearts of the people of Ncav Zealand. “This is the biggest thing that lias been done in the history of the Dominion,” lie added. “I thank him for his, promise.”