UNEMPLOYMENT IN NEW ZEALAND.

Shannon News, 9 October 1928, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT IN NEW ZEALAND.

THE PRIME MINISTER'S OPINION.

Although the position is by no means acute, the prevalence of unemployment in New Zealand cannot be doubted. Advocates of prohibition tell us, that if their pet scheme became law, the twenty-odd thousand people in the New Zealand licensed trade would quickly be "absorbed by other industries." They fail to tell' us what these industries' are, and how it will be clone, and when. The fact is, that if prohibition were carried, another twenty thousand at least would be added to our numbers of unemployed at the beginning of next winter. Who is to look after their wives and families? In America, despite prohibition, there arc more unemployed to-day than there were in the slump period of 1920-21, and 1,874,050 more.than there were in 1025, according to a report to the U.S. Senate made by the Secretary of Labour, Mr J. J. Davis, and published in the "Dominion" on 28th March last. The Prime Minister, Mr Coates, speaking at Wellington on June 14th, 1028, pointed out that whereas in the United States of America there were at least 1 in 60 unemployed, in New Zealand (under continuance) the figures wcx' 1 in 300 at the outside. Thus Uew Zealand was five times better off than the United States of America. *4,