SPENDING THE WORKER'S MONEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 251, 22 October 1937, Page 6

SPENDING THE WORKER'S MONEY.

The experience of the State placement crvice in trying to find farm employees is illuminating. Of 325 men, 65 refused to consider country work. The percentage of refusals was not remarkably large, but when 42 men who had not refused were offered specific employment only nine accepted. The others took the risk of being struck off the sustenance roll. One conclusion to be drawn from these facts is that the men who are prepared to forgo sustenance payments rather than work in the country cannot be in great need of State support; they have been drawing State money because it was easy to get. But perhtips it is misleading to speak of it as "State money." It is wage-earners' money, eonipulsorily contributed by workers of whom many, owing to the increasing cost of living, are ill able to afford it. The strong indications, such as that under notice, that somo of the fund is being dissipated in payments to men who, if they want work at all, will accept it only at their own terms, are Igi ving rise to a keen sense of grievance, j hither the wage-tax should be reduced or the expenditure of it should he restricted to cases <>i undoubted need, and the surplus used to build up a reserve for the time when the [revenue will be less buoyant than it ia now.