HELPING THE UNEMPLOYED.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1922, Page 4

HELPING THE UNEMPLOYED.

GOVERNMENT RELIEF WORKS. MANY MEN EMPLOYED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The subject of unemployment was touched on by the Hon. J. G. Coates in the course of a speech in the House tonight. The Minister said that to-day the Government ha 4 about 2000 men employed on relief works, and altogether, including public works, on July 1, 6401 men were on relief works. Some six hundred were employed on telegraph extensions, and taking those employed in the forestry and other departments they must have something like 8000 men employed on Government works, which was more or less relieving unemployment. If they went on at this rate for the year the cost would be about £2,445,000. In addition a number of public offices were being built, which would not have been built at the present time were there not need for finding work for men. Local bodies were also doing good work, and every effort was being made to meet the necessities of the situation. and he’ was very pleased at the satisfactory manner in which the men had settled down to work. For some time after the war there was a marked falling off in efficiency, but the whole of the indications were that they were getting back to pre-war conditions. In his departments they had a faithful, loyal and capable lot of officers, who were doing everything possible to make the revenue meet the expenditure, and he trusted the results of their labor would be manifest next financial year.