ROUND-TABLE CONFERENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 878, 23 January 1930, Page 8

ROUND-TABLE CONFERENCE

Sir, — The article in your paper under the heading of “The Unemployment Conundrum” signed “Peter Simple” tends to give people a false impression. “Peter Simple” puts the number of unemployed at 10,000, roughly, and says that this number corresponds pretty closely to the number of people who fall into the hands of the police for various offences. The police, at least, will have a permanent job at this rate. He complains that the worker does not lie awake at night thinking how he can make his labour productive, but the family man on 14s a day has all he can do to think out how he can spread the money over his expenses. He also states, quite correctly this time, that the ten years—l9ls to 1925—were golden years, with wealth production at high pressure. I ask him how much extra the worker got for this fruit of his labour. Labour was scarce, and jobs easy to get, and a man could leave his job and pick up another round the corner. I ask him again, who benefited by this? The worker? The State? The employer, or anyone? However*, he fells us the economic screw will tighten, and workers, in short, will be compelled to work for Jittle or nothing, and better times will be ushered in. I think the shopkeepers and business people generally will suf-

fer from these “better times" ■whjjjj the spending: power of the worker win be decreased. He also criticises the Government tor borrowing at 5 h P* r cent, for relief works. My dear “Peter Simple,” human life is more precious than money. Good for the Government! In conclusion, I think Sir Charles Fergusson deserves all credit for tho suggestion he has made in the interests of the workers of New Zealand* seeing that he had nothing to gain personally except the adverse criticism of a certain section of the community. Being orthodox in r€:ligio us matters, I refer “Peter Simple” to the passage: “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I grant their requests.” Sir Charles and Lady Alice Fergusson, on their departure for the Old Country, carry with them the best wishes of irishman. Hauraki Plains.