THE UNEMPLOYED.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1921, Page 5

THE UNEMPLOYED.

NEW PLYMOUTH POSITION.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER.

The state of unemployment in New Plymouth was put before the Minister of Labor (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) yesterday. Mr. Lyons, representing the General Laborers’ Union, said that , at the present time the number of unemployed in New Plymouth was not very great, though from fifteen to twenty unskilled laborers were out of work. The three chief sources of work in the town were the freezing works, the Borough Council, and the Harbor Board. There would probably be a slump very shortly, however, as the freezing works contemplated closing down in a month or six weeks’ time, while, owing to the financial stringency, it was doubtful if the other two bodies —the Borough Council and the Harbor Board—would be able to carry on with their present staffs. They wanted the Labor Department to have the right to put these men, who might possibly be thrown out of work, on to public works. Trade unionists, when out of work, looked for reinstatement as soon as work was available, and this was wanted also in the case of laborers who were not unionists.

The Minister, in replying, said that a gentleman in Wellington, and two of three gentlemen in Auckland, had recently inserted advertisements ih the Press, asking all unemployed to apply to them. Tn Wellington about one hundred applications were received, and in Auckland 110. These figures had been brought before the speaker’s notice as showing the state of unemployment, but, personally, he considered that in large cities like those named they were lucky to have so few out of work. Last year the Dominion had imported £15,000.009 more than she had exported, and thus the finances of the country were short to •this extent. Consequently the banks were hard pressed, and this had reflected to some extent on the labor market.

lhe Government had decided months ago to organise, not that ‘they seriously fearecl any trouble, but in case such did arise. The Labor Department registered unemployed, and the Repatriation Department also helped in registering unemployed soldiers. These departments then conferred with the Public Works Department, to which men capable of heavy work were sent, whilst those desiring lighter work were drafted to the Forestry and Lands Departments. It was the Government’s policy to give married men and soldiers preference. In this connectiqn single men with dependents were regarded as married men. The Minister emphasised the point that the Government did not want any “working up” of the unemployed business so as to make it appear worse than it really was. The Minister concluded by saying that the Government looked to local bodies and to employers of all classes of labor to help the Government all they possibly could in this unemployed problem.