Unemployed Boys

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7027, 10 December 1932, Page 7

Unemployed Boys

Labour Members Caustic INVESTIGATIONS BY MESSRS SMITH AND ANSELL Per Press Association,. WELLINGTON, Dec. 9. When the committco stage of the Finance Bill was commenced, in the House of Representatives early this morning reference was made to the clause authorising payments to Messrs S. G. Smith and A. E. Ansell in respect of their services while making investigations into the question of juvenile unemployment. The Chairman of Committee, Mr Smith, asked permission to leave the chair, which was thereupon occupied by Mr J. A. Nash. Mr J. A. Lee (Lab., Grey Lyun) inquired what had been the amount of payments, and when the report on the investigations would bo submitted. He had seen no report from the two members concerned other than tho statement that, if the Dominion devoted itself to the manufacture of mouse-traps and school rulers, the difficulty would be solved. A member: What about Yo-yo’s? Mr Smith: What about gags for wild boys? Continuing, Mr Lee asked if the appointment of Messts Smith and Ansell as a commission to investigate juvenile unemployment was another example of political patronage. Why had not a member of tho Opposition been appointed to the commission? Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates: To what Commission? Mr Lee: T’o the mouse-trap commission. Mr Coates: Why is the honorable gentleman so frightened of mousetraps? Mr F. Langstoue (Lab., Waimarino) asked what had been the results of the investigation and what it had cost. He suggested that it could have been carried out by unemployed workers. Mr Smith said it was quite evident, from the manner in which the preceding speakers had addressed the Committee, that it vas a purely personal matter. Mr Langstoue had suggested that the investigation could liavo been carried out by unemployed workers. “It cost me money to go round the country,” Mr Smith declared. “I am out of pocket as a result of the investigation we made. If that is the type of treatment that the honorable member would meet out to unemployed workers, he has not much heart for them. ’ ’

Continuing, Mr Smith said that prior to the investigation of ‘boy unemployment, the problem was practically in tho hands of the Rotary Clubs and the Y.M.C.A. There had been only one committee set up to deal with the problem. At September 30th, the total number of unemployed youths in the Dominion was 3044. Various committees had placed in employment 2550, of whom 1172 had been placed on farms, 321 in trades, 593 in shops and offices, and 664 in miscellaneous jobs. To-day there wero 20 committees set up for dealing with the youth unemployment problem.

Rt. Hon. Mr Coates said that statements already made in the Press showed the amount of work that had been done by the two members of the committee. He desired to express his sincere appreciation of tho valuable work that both Mr Smith and Mr Ansell had done.

Continuing, Mr Coates said there was no one better qualified to investigate the problem than Mr Smith, who had gained invaluable information on the wliolo subject of unemployment during liis term as Minister of Labour. The members of the Committee had received only 30s 4d per day as travelling expenses.