No Unemployment After Five Weeks

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 780, 28 September 1929, Page 1

No Unemployment After Five Weeks

SIR JOSEPH’S CLAIM AN ASSURANCE GIVEN Press Association PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Today. An assurance that within five weeks there would be no unemployed in New Zealand was given by the Prime Minister in the House, eariy this morning. He refused to be hustled into bringing in an unemployment scheme this session. Sir Joseph stated that he was in office to do his duty, but he was not going to be forced into doing anything. There was an attempt to force him to bring in unemployment insurance this session. Such a scheme could not be introduced satisfactorily without careful investigation, and it would be impossible to do it this session. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central): “Then you’ll have to give way to somebody else.” Sir Joseph Ward: “Perhaps, but I won’t leave it at that.” Mr. Fraser: That is for the country to decide. The Prime Minister said that he was willing to investigate Mr. Fletcher’s proposal in relation to capitalising the highways fund for three years at the rate of £2,000,000 a year, but he wanted to say beforehand that it could not be done. (Laughter.) Members had advocated the erection of various public buildings, but he pointed out that there was a limit to the country’s capacity for expenditure, in this direction. The Prime Minister said that he shared the general anxiety in regard to unemployment, but he pointed out that a certain degree of duty to find employment devolved on local bodies. The Government had been sympathetic and had met every case that had come before it within reason, and the amount of money that had been spent was prodigious. He would undertake that within five weeks there would be no unemployed in New Zealand among men who were able to work. The Government was dealing with the problem in a practical way, and would deal with it effectively. Mr. H. E. Holland, leader of the Labour Party, said that it was not an exaggeration to say that every unemployed man was an economic loss to the country. There were fields open for employment of these men. Land settlement certainly offered a wide scope and hundreds could be employed in railway construction, road construction, and particularly reconstruction of those roads damaged by the earthquake. Mr. Holland said that as leader of the Labour Party he welcomed Sir Joseph Ward’s statement that there would be no unemployed in New Zealand in five weeks and the whole country would welcome it. He pledged the solid support of the Parliamentary Labour Party in giving effect to this policy, and he was sure the Prime Minister would go right out to redeem his pledge. Mr. J. S. Fletcher, (Grey Lynn) said that he wished to thank the Prime Minister sincerely for the wonderful message he had given the people of New Zealand. The gospel of hope would replace the gospel of despair. The Imprest Supply Bill was then put through the remaining stages and passed, and the House rose at 3.1 a.m. having met 10.30 a.m. the previous day. , Other Parliamentary News is on page 6.