The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY. The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. THURSDAY, MARCH 27, .1885. THE UNEMPLOYED IN THE SOUTH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 97, 27 March 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY. The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. THURSDAY, MARCH 27, .1885. THE UNEMPLOYED IN THE SOUTH.

The report of. the Commissioners •ppqinteato enquire into the unem^Pjloyed question m Canterbury is to land. The Auckland Watchman points out that it is by no means cheering, either, as to the state of affairs that has existed during the past' two years ; neither does the Commission suggest any remedy that can bY immediately applied. As regards the rate of wages paid, they very property state that they are sufficiently higbJ" to enable ordinarily provident peo— ' pie to live comfortably, but as " hun- I dreds cannot obtain the necessary em- \ T)loyment," a very bad state of af- i fairs is evidenced. The causes, tlie j Commission attributes, m the words ■ as telegraphed tq a contemporary, to- —" (1J The towns are over-built, and consequently there is now a paralysis of the building; trade ; (2) there is serious diminution of expenditure on all public works. ,, Another important cause they mention of the dim- i inution of employment, , especially v . among farm labourers, has been tlie curtailment of the spending powera of farmers consequent on bad seasons ai:d the high rate, of railway freight during the year. Dearness of money also pauses a diminution of money and labour, and considerably hampers commerce, local industries, and \ agriculture. Referring to the expenditure for charitable aid m Canterbury district, it is mentioned that for the year ended June 30tb, ,1884, ,it ! exceeded that of the previous year by ; £762." The remedies the Commission suggest are— " The early development of a scheme for settling labourers on the land ; or, m otherwords, some further and systematic^ adoption of the principles of village* settlement. By this means labonreis* could spread over the colony on spots- j near to where they would be most • likely to fiutl work. Full details of -j how , these settlements iriight be -i worked aio given m the report. They I favour construction of the East unif j West Coast railway, as it would afford employment to men. They also , suggest men boirig ullowed to tak^ up | sL'ttjement along the proposqd line. I Wliteri 4 lie NortFi Island trni/it line i$ j under way, they suggest that Gq> f vi' ; rniiu'iit should offer facilities of \ clieap traiisjKM-t to enaViJe the South- ) fin uncinployerl' to reach thework.^ ' JVndin.i,' the uommeiiceinonr, i>f theses two large works, tho Co'innissioail think work nii<>lit Ue found for tin* men that won hi lie reproductive to- 1 the colony, that is, m replanting fpreats to replace those buvat pv cut ,

down. Tlnvy. also consider thai local industri«!* should be fostered. In cnuelusion they remark that most of the material. imported could be made as cheaply m the colony, and yivi! woilc to the large number of skilled men. They think that any *teps which would, tend -to relieve iarmcrs uml others of llw -heavy ialcrcst on capital must V>e of iunnt.'iiso iujportance to In'tourors. ."From enquiries inadtf, they consider those reqn irinj; omployvnent a»'e up t.<> the average 'in rtispecl to inilustrv, inte{rrify,-and so riety." The Auckland Watchman expresses the opinion that "a land tax to compel holders ..to utilise their land, and protectivo. duties to enable industries to be established, are the true . r<? medics ior the uvilt> ' existing. The former we are awafe is an; unpalatabie suggestion, but strong as^he lauded interest is it will have to bend before ■ tho gate of stern necessity." }