JOB AND A WAGER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 474, 2 October 1928, Page 12

JOB AND A WAGER

LABOUR’S ATTACK ON UNEMPLOYMENT “MALIGNANT GROWTH” (THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON. Monday. A good wager was going in the House to-day when the Minister of Lands, the Hon. A. D. McLeod, offered to bet Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) ten to one that a man offered a farming job at the low figure of 15s a week did not take the job. The case was one recently mentioned by The Sun, Auckland, and was quoted by Mr. Parry as evidence of the severity of the unemployment situation, which was such that men had to accept positions at much less than the standard living wage. ‘•But I will bet ten to one he did not take the job.” said the Minister of Lands. Mr. Parry: The giggle of the Minister on this subject is familiar. The Prime Minister: Take up his offer. Mr. Parry: r don't know whether the man accepted the position or not. Mi'. W. Lee Martin: The paper says he did. Mr. Parry: I believe the paper in preference to the Minister. Mr. McLeod: You always take the paper report when it suits you. DOMINIC NOLAN CASE Mr. Parry said the unemployment menace was a malignant and apparently permanent growth upon the national existence, compelling people to live in hunger and want, which were a living nightmare. Unemployment was as bad in Auckland to-day as ever. Referring to the Dominic Nolan case, which was published in the “Daily Herald” (London), Mr. Parry challenged the Prime Minister’s denial of the statement that there were not people starving and in want in New Zealand. Not merely hundreds, but thousands, were suffering. The official figures, and the method of computing the number of unemployed in ratio to population did not give a fair reflex of the position. The Prime Minister: What would

Mr. Parry: You have got to get more effective machinery. The figures say there is a total of 3,663 unemployed in New Zealand. Why we have got that in Auckland alone. Yet the Government has done nothing. The £500,000 it spent looks a lot in a lump sum, but it did not go far. NEW COMPETITION

Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt). who recollected that in Seattle (U.S.A.) in July, he had seen an immense procession of unemployed men, said that because unemployment was world wide, that was no reason why they should not attempt to solve their difficulties here in New Zealand. The trouble largely was, however, that there was much new competition from women, who had made good in commercial life. What the unemployed feared more than anything else was the absence of any hope even for the next month or two.

Mr. Coates, in answer, disagreed with the statements about hundreds and thousands working on the roads, though undoubtedly there were many. It was a difficult problem to which the Government had not been able to find a complete solution. However, the Government had undoubtedly been able to help while the Labour Party had not contributed an iota of constructive criticism. If were going to kick the Government out of office well and good enough for them, but he was as sorry for them as anyone else. He added* that in past years the Labour Party had not criticised unemployment as it had recently.

Mr. Holland: We protested nine years ago in this House. Mr. Coates: Three years ago there was no talk from you at all.