HIGHER REVENUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 245, 16 October 1935, Page 8

HIGHER REVENUE.

UNEMPLOYMENT TAX.

FUND £1,332,946 IN CREDIT. FOUR MILLIONS EXPENDED. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Though there was a wider range of exemptions and reduced unempolyment taxation operated during the year, the annual report of the Unemployment Board, submitted to the House yesterday, shows that revenue increased by £183,000. The report, which contains voluminous details of the various relief schemes, is valuable for its survey of basic conditions relating to the problem. The hoard states that it feels impelled to draw attention to the fact that, included in the 40,000 wholly unemployed at the end of last July are some thousands of men who, under normal industrial conditions, would be regarded as unemployable. In the majority of cases this arises not from a disinclination to work but from physical or mental disability. If these men were ruled ineligible for unemployment relief it is clear, declares the report, that they would be a charge on the hospital boards. A former estimate of 10,000 I unemployables is supplemented by a statement that possibly this figure might reach 15,000. "A further estimate of those capable' of engaging in ordinary industrial employment, but not considered capable of earning the standard rate of pay on public works on a co-operative basis, is approximately 10,000," says the report. "There are thus between 15,000 and 20,000 men on relief who are considered incapable of making a success of heavy manual employment. A percentage are suitable for full-time employment in the industries to which they are accustomed, or are even able to carry out successfully such undertakings as the eradication of noxious weeds, tree planting, sand dune reclamation and other forms of land development work." City Men And Country Jebs. The difficulty in inducing city men to take employment in the country, when it involves separation from their homes is, says the board, understandable, but a recent decision to increase the rates of pay on standard public works will, it is expected, obviate the former trouble in manning works now being arranged. The fund opened the year with £021,000 cash and concluded it with a credit balance of £1,332,940, after expending nearly £4,000,000. The board estimates the current year's revenue at £3,821,000, and its policy of considerably increasing the amount of full-time employment at standard rates will creatly add to the current expenditure. The average number of contributors to the fund is 413,000, and of the total Maori adult male population 13,000 have elected to become contributors. Nearly 0000 exemptions represent £50,750 in j quarterly instalments, and it is significant to note that although hardship , accounted for over 2000 exemptions in February, 1034, this reason accounted for only 04 exemptions last February. Disappointment is expressed at the slow development of additional secondary. industries, though the number of persons employed has increased by 9000 during the year. The report adds: "While several important projects are under review it has been a disappointment that there has been no considerable move by private enterprise to establish new industries and to take advantage in the early stages of the board's assistance by grants or loans. It does not appear conceivable that, having regard to the present conditions of population, protection and labour, there is no additional scope for private enterprise and capital."