“NOT SO BADLY OFF"

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 277, 13 February 1928, Page 8

“NOT SO BADLY OFF"

PRIME MINISTER oh . UNEMPLOYMENT LABOUR DEPUTATION (From Our Resident Corresponds . . 'y ELLINGTON. SitnnjJ Advising his critics to posi-Jon in other countries, the Minister, Mr. Coates, dismissed «*** guments about unemployment wh^ were presented by a represent*** Labour deputation on Saturday W ith Mr. Coates were the Mini*ter Public Works, the Hon. K. S. and the Minister of Lands, the D. McLeod. Mr. H. E. Holland. Leader of u* position, headed the deputation. said the unemployed problem greater to-day than it had ever be®. So many out of work in the a m|| meant that the winter would be fr. worse. To meet the position « ately the Government should pm hand works for which money had acts ally been voted. This might 4 Tin the cost of these works, but it was wasteful to have a large class of * community idle. POSITION IN AUCKLAND Mr. T. Blood worth, Auckland, said V* position of the unemployed in lar d had become desperate. The land Harbour Board had opened op t quarry, which employed 200 men, Nc that job was nearly over. Th e Suit Advances Department should be sti&a. lated and house building renewed, h spite of the fact that there were 4 fa empty houses, the shortage was rml He hoped the Government world mtr on the new railway station. Mr. Coates: So far as lam cerned. I have finished with it I n* instructions to call for tenders. Mr. Bloodworth asked the Pm* Minister to push on with the bufldfe of houses for the railway workers wfe had been transferred to Otahuhu. Hr said he understood that 40 meri ta signed up, but they were waiting f® loans. Mr. Coates said there was no imow. sity to wait for State advances, becami the initial loan was made by the Bailways Department. The Prime Minister said there s® danger in putting all public works h hand, because a winter programme had to be provided. The Government had 8,000 men on public works, and tnm the national point of view it dangerous to increase the country** catside financial liabilities to meet a V«ral emergency. NO CHANGE IN WAGES The Government had organised Its finance within New Zealand so a* to provdie work for a number of men. Ii had reduced immigration to the mini* mum. Compared with countries clow at hand, New Zealand was not so badly off, and it had done more by co-erdht* ated effort to relieve the situation. The Prime Minister asked critics to examine the records of other Governments opposed in principle to his own, and see if they were any better. Mr. Semple asked if relief wagec would be 9s a day. Mr. Coates replied that Cabinet would make no change. It considered that to the country’s interest the economic effect of paying standard wages would be disastrous. While they paid standard rates, the individual would not look for other work. The Governmeni had expected, with the improved prices, that there would be more work In the summer, but this did not eventuate. It was not a. question of not thinking about the problem. They had been at; it tor 12 months. Afforestation and Nad schemes were progressing, and warn local bodies were co-operating. &%*%•* ******** Mill