The problem of unemployment

SH Jhabvala, Secretary of the Unemployment Bureau in Bombay, has appealed to the members of the local legislative council to prevail upon the government  to do something to tackle the problem of unemployment among the educated middle class. The next meeting of the council is to be held on the 20th, and it is suggested that the government should be asked to appoint a committee to enquire into the causes of unemployment and suggest steps to be taken by the government as well as private bodies to relieve the distress prevailing in the city. The problem of unemployment affects not only Bombay but also Calcutta, Allahabad, Lahore, Madras and other principal cities of India, and some of our public men have been endeavouring to find a solution. The attention of the local as well as Central governments has, from time to time, been drawn to the matter, but so far no government has taken effective steps to solve the problem. In the meantime, there is a steady increase in the number of young men who wander about from place to place in search of employment and, in most cases, fail to find any and have nobody to advise them as to what they should do to keep their body and soul together. The position is most discreditable both to the government and society generally, especially to the well-to-do classes. The result of Jhabvala’s efforts to induce the Bombay government to do its duty in the matter will, therefore, be watched with interest. In many respects, Bombay is an ideal centre for holding an enquiry of the kind suggested by Jhabvala. It is the industrial capital of India and there are in it merchants and industrialists who employ educated men by hundreds and thousands in their business.

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