SERIOUS POSITION OF WORKLESS YOUTH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 248, 10 June 1932, Page 5

SERIOUS POSITION OF WORKLESS YOUTH

("Post" Special Commissioner.)

STRONG DEPUTATION GOVT. CHARGED WITH NOT LIVING UP TO PROMISES RESOURCES LIMITED

WELLINGTON, Thursday. The seriousness o:F the boy- unemployment problem was emphasised'byan, influential and representative deputation which waited on the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes), Minister of Employmeht (Rt. Hoh.. J. G. Coates) and Minister of Lands (Hon. E. A. Ransom) to-day and pressed for some definite statement of the Ciovernment's poIicy in the matter. The deputation had the endorsement of all church bodies, and included representafcives of the principal churches, the Y.M.C.A., Boy Scout movement, Employers' Associations, Rotary movement, New Zealand Land Development League, A. and P. Associations, and Real Estate Institute. The principal speaker was Archbishop Averill, who. said that the deputation was really the outcome of conferences in Auckland. , ; "We believe," he said, "that the abSence of ahy organised attempt to find some sort of employment for youths between 15 and 20 is utterly detrimental to the welfare of the boys and to the future welfare of the Dominion." They understood that on more than one occasion, ihe Government had stated that it could not accept any responsibility for unemployed boys and it was hard to reconcile that with ihe attitude to which the Dominion was pledged by the signing of ithe declaration of Geneva under which they under.took to provide food, first of all for children, and to put the children in a position to earn their livelihood. His Grace then read a letter from the Minister of Education (Hon. R. Masters), in which Mr. Masters stated "it is not the duty of tha State to find employment for these young people." The Prime Minister interjected that 'ie thought Mr. Masters was referring to education obligations. No one, except the Prime Minister, could speak For the general policy of the Government. Some Inconsistency His Grace said they wished to know the attitude of the Government on the ruestion. At present there seemed to be some inconsistency in tbe matter. Many boys who should have left •ichool last year, were being kept on, but that could not go on indefinitely. ^.t the end of this year there would be a tremendous number who must leave school, arfd it seemed they would have to join the unemployed. Some scheme should be evolved for ;heir employment, and the deputation asked for a sympathetic lead from ;he Government Other speakers supported the case nade by the deputation. IH-Considere;d Criticism In reply, the Minister of Empioyaient, Mr. Coates, said that a good leal of the effect of what was being attempted by the Government vvas destroyed by ill-considered criticsm and he made a plea for eo-opera-ion. Mr Coates said that the State could not relieve parents who could Pffofd to keep their boys, of the responsibility of finding them some !orm of work, even if it was a strug?le for them to do so. Mr. Coates laid he could only consider the case of the unemployed sons of reg'istercd relief workers. The Budgetary position was very difficult. "We are faced with deficits rnyhow," said Mr Coates, "but we are trying to . live up to the programme we have laid down." Land Settlement Discussing the land settlement proposal, Mr. Coates said that the Minister of Lands and himself v/ere doing the best they could with the funds available they hoped to move unemoloyed on to land as quickly as possible. If 5000 people could be got on to the land fairly quickly, it would relieve the fund to the extent of between £300,000 and £400,000 a year. In view of the Government's very limited resources, he considered its duty lay at present first of all with the married men with families or dependants. He would like to be able to say that everybody in the country would get all he was entitled to, and he believed the Government would be able to. say that very shortly. No further commitments in expenditure could be justified at present, ufgent and necessitous as cases might be. He admitted that little provision had been made for the assistance of unemployed between the ages of 16 and 20; nothing would plpase him more than to be able to tell the deputation 'that the Government "could give them some practical help, but the Government's resources were fast diminishing", and they had no others to call up. Living Up to Declaration The Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes said his sympathy was entirely with the sentiments expressed in the declaration of Geneva, but -it would be a pretty wide responsibility for the Government to be tied down to every ideal that was expressed in the declaration. "I guarantee that tio other country in the world is standing up to the declaration better than New Zealand is doing," he said. When it was suggested to him that having signed the document, he was now doing something dishonourable by not carrying it out ttf the letter at a time when the Government's resources were limited, he must make a resolution never again to sign such a commitment. It was most unfair to suggest that he was hreaking his bonil. In the cireumstances, he would have to see in future that he committed ' the Government only to what it felt it could actually carry out. The Government, continued Mr. Forbes, could not be responsible for the employment of every boy who had no work, otherwise it might be claimed that as soon as a boy reach-

16, he could place on the Government the onus of finding him a job. He did not say, however, that the Government should ignore its responsibility) to do its best to remedy the posL' tion, which undoubtedly was very serious. The Government alone could rioti deal with the problem, they must, have the co-operation of every cen-V trp. If a plan could be presented, the, Government would do what it could? to assist in carrying it out. RepresentX tations would he placed before Cabinet^ for serioiis consideration.