UNEMPLOYMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 May 1921, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT.

THE GOVERNMENT’S MEASURES. DUTY OF LOCAL BODIES. The schemes adopted by the Government for dealing with unemployment are coming into operation gradually. Works arranged by the Public Works Department and the Forestry Department have been started at various points, and extensions are being made as they are deemed by the authorities to be necessary. It is not the policy of the Government to attempt to absorb all the labor that is seeking employment, but an effort is being made to prevent serious distress arising at any point. The Acting-Prime Minister (Sir Francis Bell) made a statement on this point on Wednesday. He said that the public must not expect the Government to find work for every man who was out of a job. The Government could not undertake to do this all over New Zealand, and its preparations for dealing with unemployment must be rega.-ded as supplementary to other efforts. He looked to the local bodies to assist in absorbing the men who were unemployed within their areas. The men placed on Government unemployment works are being paid at the rates of iOs a day for single men without dependents and 12s a day for married men and single men with dependants. These rates admittedly are not high, but the amount of money at the disposal of the Government for the relief of unemployment is limited. The funds have to be conserved in view of the possibility of unemployment becoming more extensive in the later months of the winter.