FACING UNEMPLOYMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 873, 17 January 1930, Page 11

FACING UNEMPLOYMENT

Auckland Citizens’ Opinions “KEEP POLITICIANS OUT,” SAYS ONE WHAT is tlie solution of tlie unemployment problem In Christchurch yesterday the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, suggested that a solution might he reached by a round-table conference of the best brains in the country. Several Auckland men, employers of labour who have not attended any of the previous conferences, were asked their opinion this morning and also their views on solving this difficult problem. “Keep politicians out of any conferences on the subject —-they are too afraid of losing votes,” was almost a general remark. . Such schemes as building stadiums and playgrounds similar to that at Western Springs were roundly condemned as they simply aggravated the position and threw the men back on the labour market again. One suggestion was made that unemployables and drunkards should be employed in production work under military supervision.

“Everybody is barking up the wrong tree,” remarked the member of the staff of a local body which employs a large number of men all •the year round. “They have tried to solve the problem by pushing on works which do not last for any length of time and this only aggravates the position. It is the responsibility of the public, through the Government, to find work for everyone in the country. My general opinion is that work should he provided in building roads and clearing land which is capable of development ami production, but for which private enterprise has not provided the necessary capital. “The Government should develop waste lands by unemployed labour; then, when such land is in the condition to produce, let the people on to it on terms which would be acceptable to men with small capital. WORK BY CONTRACT “Development work should all be done by contract. There should be no relief work as such. The Government certainly should evolve schemes of development, but all work should be let by contract to everyday contractors, who would obtain the necessary men. A contractor would get men to go out into the country, where they would not go on relief jobs. “Although the country may not benefit immediately from such schemes, their effect would be realised in the future. Schemes of making work to keep men in the towns such as the stadium at Western Springs and similar undertakings are of no use whatever and only make the positioii 'worse.”

“For the real and final solution of this problem we have got to go back to teaching the small child, in its infancy, the fundmental principles of life,” commented Mr. C. F. Bennett. “The average child,” as soon as it begins to notice anything and is allowed any freedom, starts to amuse itself by digging in the soil and the ,ioy and pleasure the child receives from such amusement can be witnessed any day.” Mr. Bennett remarked that the last natural instinct children were taught was the cultivation of the soil. This should be one of the first. In primary schools children were taught and entertained by the use of “plastics,” but they were never taught a thorough knowledge of the soil and its development. If people would only realise the possibilities of cultivating a natural instinct, we would have children looking toward an agricultural life and its great possibilities. When it came to a question of a child’s mind being prepared and developed for an active career the individual was immediately lifted out of Its real natural sphere and put into commerce or a profession for which it perhaps did not possess a natural inclination. The individual was therefore given a distorted Idea of its importance in a particular sphere of life. “The last thing the average person thinks a child should be trained in today is in any occupation in which it is required to take off its coat,” continued Mr. Bennett, “consequently agriculture and ail its branches are looked down on instead of being looked up to as a means of livelihood.” He went on to explain that the training of children to look to the land would take many years eventually to solve the unemployed problem, but he felt that it would be a sure and definite one in the end. He also remarked that every child did not want to go on -to the land, but there was a large percentage which had a natural inclination that way. Mr. Bennett remarked on one glaring instance of the weakness of the present educational system. The Harbour Board advertised tor a boy for the office—2oo applied for the position, and yet at that time farmers could not get boys to sc on the land. He knew ot boys who were attending the secondary schools and colleges who had no idea what they wanted to do in the future. PROPER TRAINING Good, solid training was needed to- , e sa ' c *- The monetary return should be the last consideration. Anyone who gave a boy the opportunity to take an interest in the land should provide him with good housing and a good training, but lie could not be expected to pay high wages at first—that would come later. This is not an attack on the wages question,” said Mr. Bennett, “but bovs today are not properly trained for any calling.” There Is no immediate remedy for unemployment, he says. The whole world has drifted into its present lax state, and a large section of the community has become unemployable principally because of this lack of training. o A conference as suggested by his Excellency would be an excellent thing if the heads of big business concerns could get together and see if it were not possible to employ more boys, but the unions should step back and not say what the wages should be. “I can’t help thinking that the Government would do well to go ahead with the development of the connecting points of the railways, which are the principal means of transport of bulk goods and produce. With any country needing development, the

trunk lines must for many years he essentially the means of transport.” Mr. Bennett, who has just returned from a world tour, mentioned the speedy freight trains in the United States and the manner in which they transported huge quantities of fruit and other perishable goods to all parts of the country in a very short time. SENSE OF WORK “People here seem to have lost their sense of work,” he continued. “We have got to get back to that and the spirit of thrift.” He mentioned that while in Denmark he saw 75 milking cows on 25 acres of land. All of them were tethered and were moved about the area as they ate the grass. The cows were milked three times a day. People in Denmark certainly worked hard. Th big men in industry, representatives of employers’ associations, chambers of commerce, and sane labour—these would be the men Mr. Albert Spencer, president of the Auckland Employers’ Association would have at the conference suggested by the Governor-General. He would keep the whole conference clear of politics. In mentioning sane labour he said that he would have men who would go into the whole question without prejudice, and not. for . what they could drag out of the employers. He would have all men who would consider the whole subject from every point of view, and who would have no axes to grind. Something might come of this. “We have been thinking seriously of calling such a conference in Auckland,” continued Mr. Spencer, “to combat unemployment, and then the rest of New Zealand might follow. “The whole problem is very complicated. Unemployment Is a world stagnation, although we in New Zealand suffer less than other countries. There are, of course, a certain number of unemployables and those who are mentally deficient who all have a grouse against society, employers and work generally, and also a big proportion of drunkards and ‘dope fiends.’ “If we have unemployed insurance we must have certain regulations to govern it, otherwise we will be imposed on. There is a certain number of people in New Zealand who should be; made to work, and tbe Govrnment should put them on the land under military supervision.

“These people would be happier working. If we ever have the dole I hope we will pay men for working and not for doing nothing, as they are in England. We don’t want to produce a nation of paupers.” Mr. Spencer considers that his Excellency’s suggestion is an excellent one, and advantage should be taken of it. At past conferences a lot of talking had been done but nothing else. SURPLUS WANTED Mr. Spencer asked what would happen if every man were employed and there was no labour available.'He considers that it is necessary to have a little surplus labour on the market so that it can be regulated. He pointed out that the same men are not employed fell the time. -So-called relief works, such as stadiums, etc., did not offer any solution to the problem. They got us nowhere and only ended in disaster. The men would be better employed growmg vegetables or doing something productive. If they were employed in breaking-in land or some similar project people would give more readily to the unemployed fund. Mr. H. E. Vaile considers that a conference such as that suggested by the Governor-General would be an excellent thing, but he continued, “it should be purely non-political.” , i£ L no * lse llav ing a conference unless the Government takes the advice and recommendations from such a meeting,” sa id Mr. Vaile. “in the past the Government has set up con m, 1 i enCe£ i ? nd comm issions, there has been a lot of talking, but nothing has happened beyond that!” Vail f is . of tlle opinion that wa o es aie too high, and supports liis argument by stating that rents have iallen by ”0, 40, and 50 per cent. The price of commodities has also fallen, and salaries have been reduced Everybody s income, from the working man upward, is less now than it was. A working man who is supposed to be getting £1 a day is not allowed to take less. He probably works three days a week, and is idle for the other three days. If the working man would be content to take less, he could be provided Avitk work for the whole time, and the fictitious wage would disappear. “The sooner this is recognised and Ave come to earth, the better,” continued Mr. \ aile, “and the sooner business will be restored. There is work for everybody, but employers cannot be forced to pay Avages which they cannot afford to pay. That is the truth, but the politicians are afraid to say so, because they are afraid of losing \ T otes.”