GOVERNMENT’S INTENTIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 20 July 1929, Page 7

GOVERNMENT’S INTENTIONS

REGARDING UNEMPLOYMENT

I J; , (By: Telegraph) (From “The Mail’s” Parliamentary Reporter).

WELLINGTON, 19th July'. A statement in regard to the. Government s intentions in respect to the unemployment problem was made by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) in the House of Representatives to-day.

The Government, said the Minister, was not in any way unmoved over the distress that existed throughout the country. He admitted that sufficient was not being done to cope with that distress but he coukl assure the House that the Government had under consideration proposals which were calculated to place'men in permanent employment. The Government was not asking for a mere palliative but for something that would permanently deal with the problem. It had been questioned by certain members whether the special committee which had been set up by the Government was operating but he eouhl assure the House that it was. 'lt had been stated that the Government would, wait for the committee to conclude its work before it'introduced any legislation dealing with unemployment, but such was not the ease.

What the Government proposed to do was to ask the committee to submit a report as soon as it had completed its investigations in respect of one phase of the problem and if Cabinet approved of the recommendation it would be put into effect at once. They were not going to wait for the complete report of the committee.