UNEMPLOYMENT DIFFICULTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 February 1922, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT DIFFICULTY.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Feb. 2. The unemployment difficulty was mentioned in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South) said that during the last few days he had sent a number of unemployed men, including returned soldiers, to various members of the Ministry, who had been unable to give any assistance. He had received a letter that morning from a returned soldier who had been out of work for ten weeks. The man had a wife and three young children and was in considerable distress. He was a motor mechanic, but could not undertake navying work owing to having been gassed during the war. Could the Government find jobs for such men?

The Prime Minister replied that the problem was exceedingly difficult. There was plenty of work in the country at present, but it was work for suitable men. Most of the men at present unemployed were unsuitable for country work owing to lack of experience. It was not easy under present conditions to provide work for men who had been in offices all their lives, Mr. Massey added that Ministers had been very fully occupied lately with the business of Parliament. He would he glad to examine the unemployment difficulty after the session and see if any improvement could be effected.