PUBLIC OPINION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 391, 28 November 1932, Page 7

PUBLIC OPINION

The "Post" at all times welcomes correspondence from its reader3. It must, however, be clearly understood that we accept no> responsibility for the views expressed by our correspondents. UNEMPLOYMENT. I To the Edtior. Sir, — I would like to express an opinion on the question of unemployment as affecting all countries of the world at the present time. Unemployment has been largely hrought ahout hy the introduction and improvement in machinery as used in the production of the world's requirements of today, and yoii will readily agree that machinery is only in its infancy stages at the present time, and. will probably be improved beyond reeognition in the near future, therehy making the position of unemployment still more acute, and will largely do j away with the demand for manual labour. There are thousands of people , unemployed to-day who will never do another day's work if existing conditions prevail. The most serious question as I see it is wliat is to hecome of the thousands of young people just leaving school, who under present eonditions have no chance of getting employment. They seem destined to walk the streets in enforced idleness, which is sure later to breed dissatisfaction and tronhle. What I would suggest, and believe will ultimately take place, is to evolve some equitahle scheme of retiring all people now in , industry over a certain age, say 50 or any other age that would allow the young people growing up to be absorbed in profitahle work. Under present conditions the young people will have to be supported in idleness. It seems to me more equitahle to place them in work, and retire, and support if necessary, the old people now in industry. The younger people, if unemployed, are more likely to breed dissatisfaction than older people who have already ,passed the heyday of life. The question of shortening working hours to relieve the situation has never appealed to me, and would only lead to further agitations. by unions for a still shorter working time. In the past a lot of the improvement in machinery, and the displacement of manual labour has been forced on the employees hy the tacties employed hy unions, largely ruled hy imported agitators, causing displacement, and in many eases th'e complete loss of trade owing to strikes. The seriousness of this question of unemployment does not app'ear to have heen fully realised yet. Let us hope the improvement in machinery displacing manual labour will ultimately lead to a hetter state for mankind ^generally . — I am, etc. H. S. MEADS. Rotorua, Nov. 25, 1932. _