THE DOLE

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 55, 5 April 1930, Page 4

THE DOLE

As is so often the case with any attempt that is made to right a wrong, the systcm that is employed is made open to serious criticism in consequence of the abuse it is subjected to. We find this in many undertakings and unfortunately more often than enough in conneetion with efforts of a charitable nature. It is not always that tbe system is so mucb at fault as the abuse of the system. Our readers will readily call to mind examples of what we refer to. It frequentlv happens that quite a good effort will be spoilt and sometimes, jeopardised by the abuse of some individual or individuals who have utilised a certain scheme or elfort to their own advantage. People returning to New Zealand from the Old Country have offered much outspoken criticism on the dole system that has been in operation in England and Scotland since the termination of the war. Generally speabing, the argurqent is that it is no good and should be abolished. To hear the comments of some of our visitors abroad one would gather that the dole was entirely without merit and it had simply produced a nation of loafers who were living on the State and would continue to do so until the dole was discontinued. This is far from the truth and we are glad to see Mr L. A. Paish, His Majesty's Trade Commissioner, pass a little comment upon these foolish argurpents. hlr Paish expressed regret" at the attitude of some New Zealanders who, having journeyed to England, returned with a doleful story of conditions at Home. Many of these comments could, he said, do no good and would only create bad feeling between England and those in New Zealand. Mr Paish went on to refer to unemployment and the dole and it is in this conneetion that wre wish specially to refer. Comparing Britain's unemployment problem with that of Germany and of the United States, Mr Paish stated that in Germany there were half as many people again as there were in the United States. Germany had three million unemployed, and Britain one million and a-half. The United States had two and a-half times the population of the United Kingdom and had six million unemployed. These figures are colossal, and they give some little idea of the vast problem some of the countries are up against. Mr Paish made reference to allegations that the unemployed at Home were lazy and were living on the dole, but he assured his audience that such was not the case. In his opinion the British worker was bv no means lazy and worked as hard as any other worker in tbe world. The dole, he continued, was constantly being held up against Great Britain. ' It was true they had the dole, but some form of payment was necessary during the post-war period. One could not see men and women starve just because they could not get work. Great Britain would be lacking in a sense of decency if she could not do something to keep those unfortunate people unable to get work from starving. He did not want people to tbink that because unemployment was a bad thing and the dole was unemployment pay, the dole was a bad thing. That, in his opinion, was not true logic. The world is undoubtedly going through a period of depression, and it is expedients like the dole that have helped to ease the situation. Unfortunately the system has been greatly abused by unscrupulous people, especially in its early application,, and this has thrown it open to serious objection. Some such expedient is essential in the Old Land until such time as a return of prosperity reduces Britain's great workless armv to a much lower figure. The MacDonald Government have found it extremely difficult to hnd a permanent solution for unemployment, despite their election platform promises to this effeet, and in consequence the dole has gone on. It will possibly continue until an impetus to British trade -and a return to prosperity automatically solve the whole question o.f unemployment.