UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17986, 3 April 1930, Page 2

UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM

ASPECTS REVIEWED. BY WORKERS’ ASSOCIATION. INITIAL LECTURE- OF SEASON. . The principal causes of unemployment were set forth in an interesting lecture at Toorak Chambers last evenipg by Mr F. B. Stephens, 8.A., B;Com., tutor-organiser of the Workers’ Educational Association in HamHton. '. Mr F. A. de la Mare presided. ; The lecturer said he took "Is Unemployment Inevitable?” as his subject, because of the considerable •criticism which had been levelled at the report of the Unemployment Committee as to their statement that complete unemployment could not be eliminated from industry, but was a necessary product of our modern Social and industrial structure. If the Unemployment Committee were correct that unemployment is inevitable, then temporary remedies' would be of little value as permanent solutions of the problem. “A Recurrent Feature.” . Unemployment was not a modern phenomenon, but had been a recurrent! feature in modern society ever since i the industrial revolution. It seemed j to be the price we had paid for the '■great material progress that has taken place under the 'system of private enterprise, bank credit, and specialisation of labour. Hence, though present in a more virulent fprm in post-war years, it was not a new disease. i “Again, unemployment is present in all the countries of the Western world in a marked degree, and over the past hundred years waves of unemployment in various countries have coincided in point of time,” he added. / "The importance of these two points is that of the problem is (a) not peculiarly a post-war problem, and (b) a world-wide phenomenon, lien, the search to find causes which are either temporary or local must •miss the main point. It is not denied that'local causes do aggravate the trouble, nor that the post-war position is made worse by special factors consequent on the war; but even with the removal of the peculiarly local difficulties and the rectification of war damage, there would still remain the problem of unemployment. Hence many of the proposed remedies are ■mere palliatives, and frequently leave the position worse than before.” Mr Stephens divided up unemployment into four classes, each of which presented a different problem and required different remedies. Casual Unemployment. One of the great problems of today is the deeasualisation of those whose work Is composed of short engagements, and who are therefore engaged without any selection. The wharf labourer is a a typical example of this class. Casual labour not only means loss of time between jobs, but it means that a larger number is kept waiting employment ‘than is socially desirable. Again, the skilled workman out of work tends to gravitate to this class, and so swells the ranks of ■casual labourers. Seasonal Unemployment. Ths problem is quite well known in New Zealand, where the chief Industry—farminig — is of a seasonal nature. Mr Stephens outlined the fact that waves of unemployment coincided with, the fluctuations of trade, commonly called the trade cycle. Hence the question, “Is unemployment inevitable?” could really be answered if the question, “Is the trade cycle inevitable?” were answered. The various causes of the trade cvcle were examined, and they were seen to be all at bottom psychological, and' factors which would be present were in a state where industry was nationalised. After , considerable elaboration Mr Stephens concluded by saving that as society was at present constituted the trade cycle was inevitable, and hence unemployment .was inevitable. He agreed that its severity might be mitigated, but that the phenomenon could not be entirely eliminated. Then there was unemployment consequent on change in industrial structures. The typical case was the growth of machinery, with consequent scrapping of skilled tradesmen." Mr Stephens went on to show that industry demanded a reserve of labour sufficient to satisfy the demand of its busiest season. In slack seasons this reserve was unemployed. Elaborating this point, the lecturer concluded that unemployment was an industrial feature and not a social one, as suggested by the Unemployment Committee. Hence the Unemployment Insurance, which levied toll on the industry concerned, was more just than the Poll Tax, as proposed by the Unemployment ■. Committee. Imports from America. In the subsequent discussion Mr Stephens was asked if unemployment in New Zealand was due to the heavy, consumption of American goods for which the Dominion received no return. lie replied that this fallacy had been advanced by some politicians and newspapers. No actual coin left New Zealand for America, and our produce went direct to England, whence the Americans bought it. There was no doubt, however, that New Zealand spent too much on luxuries. Another inquirer wanted to know if the growth of combines and monopolies was a cause of unemployment. Mr Stephens responded that there might be temporary displacement of labour, ■ but combines usually resulted in a saving of costs and a stabilisation of prices, while the improved trade baliance and absence of fluctuations reduced unemployment. .Mr C. M. Hume said the average farmer preferred as farm labourers youths between 18 and 21 years of age. Young men were constantly changing positions on farms. It was a fact that it was very difficult for married men to get farm w’ork. Mr Stephens said the experience of some farmers from whom he bad been making inquiries seemed to be that even single men were hard to get, v/.hiie one" farmer bad actually to erect quarters for a married -man. ,Mr y. Wilson spoke at length on the introduction of modern machinery arm motors, which was one of the primary causes of unemployment. in moving a I)early vote of thanks ox; speaker, Mr Prentice mentioned :jjal in a fortnight Mr Stephens proposed to deal witii the remedies of unemployment. As this aspect of the situation W as calculated to arouse i-mne interesting discussion he appealed to all present to make the lecture widely known. The v" ii • of './tanks wa3 carried by acclaim* iVa