The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1927. MUDDLE OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 71, 15 June 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1927. MUDDLE OF UNEMPLOYMENT

A FOOLISH display of bad temper marred the efforts that were made at Parliament House yesterday to correct some of the worst evils and errors of unemployment. Bach side of the representation lost the sense of discretion, and Ministers, as well as the mob-deputation of idle men and women, found hysterical expression in shrill harangue arid vehement nonsense. It was not the way to get things done. In any ease, the time has come to flatten out the overworked deputation habit to the level of common-sense and moderate talk. A mob of three hundred unemployed persons may enhance the impressiveness of its appeal and increase the importance of the politicians who lead it and receive it, but a few level-headed men gathered together in an upper room with determination to get at the malignant cause and effect of the trouble would do more, in half the time and without any strident fuss at all, to devise a practical remedy than could be achieved even by a daily muster of the wildest revolutionaries with banners flying. Governments do not live by slogans alone, but if the present Administration wants another one it should adopt a war-cry equally serviceable to the angry unemployed: Billets instead of blatancy and bleating. The truth is plain enough and bad enough as to r'- mire no exaggeration. Already, the Government has provided relief work for two thousand men. In addition, the Public Works Department is overstocked with labour. In the words of the Prime Minister the department is employing between 4.000 and 5,000 more men than are required. That admission, which holds evidence of extravagance, alone proves the acuteness of unemployment throughout the country and demonstrates the plight of the Government in its attempt to cope with it. If a census of the unemployed to-day were taken, as it should have been taken long ago, it is reasonable to assume that almost as many men and women are still out of work as the number for whom relief employment has been found. It is clear that the Government has been ill-informed as to the extent of the industrial depression and unemployment. The Minister of Labour confesses that the Government’s anticipation in March last that arrangements for the relief of two thousand unemployed men throughout the winter would suffice has, unfortunately, not been fulfilled. Why continue to spend tens of thousands of pounds on" labour bureaux and statistical departments if, together, these cannot calculate to within half of the actual number of unemployed? But nothing is to he gained from recriminatory comment about inefficient departments and the Government’s rash enterprise in bringing at least thirty thousand immigrants into the country within the past two years without having made adequate provision for their absorption in industry. It has been decided now to throw the burden of employing the unemployed on local bodies, the Government to provide some of the cost by way of conditional subsidy. Since there are over six hundred local bodies in the Dominion the aggregate wisdom m a multitude of counsellors may solve a problem. Meanwhile, the idle man who scoff's at 12s or even 9s a day on temporary relief work does not deserve encouragement. It is the best a muddled State can provide.

THE NEW ZEALAND FAIR

IF you enter the Auckland Town Hall you will see the hand of the artist elapsed in that of the industrialist and will walk across a miniature National Park to inspect goods displayed in a Maori pataka, or storehouse, about which are set native shrubs, ferns and trees, the while Maori warriors and Maori maids recount in haka and song the story of New Zealand. It is a delightfully conceived scheme to bring the merits of New Zealand-made goods before the New Zealand public. The past alone is not presented in picture. The commercial artist presents the industry of the present in living pictures. Beautiful mannequins wear the frocks and gowns designed and made by the hands of New Zealanders, and in a section of the hall, reserved for ladies only, there is a charmingly-fitted boudoir, wherein are shown examples of the hosiery and underwear made in this country.

The New Zealand Preference League cannot be too highly commended for its enterprise in illustrating, in so striking a way, the manufacturing resources of the Dominion, and the shopkeepers of the city who are strengthening the effort, by making special window displays of New Zealand-made goods are also to be congratulated. Aucklanders are patriotic, and it only needs the periodical holding of such displays—reminding them of their duty to themselves and their country in this respect—to induce them to patronise their own industries in preference to purchasing imported goods.

WIRELESS AND SMALL SHIPS

THERE has been considerable dissatisfaction existing among coastal seamen in regard to the lack of protection afforded many of them by the absence of wireless equipment, and it is satisfactory to note that the Auckland shipowners have agreed to the provision of wireless on smaller ships than those now covered by the law. Under the present regulations, wireless is required to be installed on steamers which carry more than 12 passengers, those of 1 ,GOO tons gross register or over, and those which, with their crews, carry more than 25 persons. In a conference with the Secretary of the Marine Department, the secretary of the Merchant Service Guild and the secretary of the Seamen’s Union, yesterday, representatives of the shipping interests trading out of Auckland agreed to raise no objection to the lowering of the standard of vessels on which wireless shall be compulsory. The result is that vessels carrying a total complement of 15 will in future be equipped. This is a decided gain for safety. On the coast of New Zealand, where fierce storms are liable to arise at short notice, the danger of damage to small vessels is considerable, and there will be general satisfaction at the thought that in cases of distress many more of these vessels will possess the means of calling for assistance.