REDUCTION WANTED

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 156, 3 July 1937, Page 12

REDUCTION WANTED

EMPLOYMENT TAX. j NO STATEMENT AT PRESENT. SUSTENANCE FRAUDS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLIXGTOX, Friday. Until measures for permanent rehabilitation now being formulated by the Government have been brought to fruition, and details of the national superannuation scheme ill rotation to unemployment insurance boon finalised, no stutoment can be made concerning unemployment taxation, according to the acting-Minister of Laliour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, in a letter to to-day's meeting of the executive of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of NewZealand. '•Regarding your ini|uiry whether registrations under the State placement scheme are included in the published figures of unemployed,''said the Minister, "it would seem that your organisation is »nder the impression that the State placement servic concerns itself only with registered unemployed. This is not the case, although incidentally all registered unemployed must enrol with the placement service. The total enrolments at the various placement offices cannot therefore l>e accepted as a criterion, that all the men enrolled are unemployed.. "In- regard to the second question raised by you, the possibility of a reduction :in unemployment taxation, the financial, position of the Employment- Promotion Fund is constantly under review and care has been taken to ensure that the funds available have been utilised for the purposes outlined In the Employment Promotion Act and expenditure Kept > reasonably within revenue. Until measures for permanent rehabilitation being formulated by the Government can be brought to fruition and details of the national superannuation scheme in relation to unemployment insurance have been finalised, it would be premature for me to make any statement concerning unemployment taxation. "I feel sure your association will appreciate that the question, one affecting finance in general, will no doubt be comprehensively dealt with by my colleague, the Minister of Finance, when presenting the Budget during the forthcoming session." The meeting agreed that in view of the serious inroads being made into the Employment Fund by sustenance frauds the Government be urged to lay charges for indictable offences in respect of such frauds. This was in line with the opinion expressed from the Bench by a northern magistrate dealing with cases of sustenance frauds.