HIGHER RELIEF PAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 157, 4 July 1940, Page 8

HIGHER RELIEF PAY.

Aid For Workers Affected By War. INCREASE IN CONTRIBUTIONS. British Official Wireless. X Received 1 p.m.)

RUGBY, ,Tu]y 3.

Sir. Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour, had the unusual experience of making his maiden Parliamentary speech in the House of Commons from the front bench, when moving the second reading of the Unemployment Insurance Bill, which increases the rate of benefit and extends the scope to a large number of black-coated workers.

Mr. Bevin eaid unemployment in certain branches of industry was being created deliberately, of fheer national necessity, partly by the delay in the transfer of workers to war industry.

"When you deliberately, in the interests of the State, create unemployment, you cannot then take advantage of the rates fixed for an entirely different purpose," Mr. Bevin said. He explained that an increase in the contribution rate of both worker and employer was necessary because he had to see that the new regulations would not entail borrowing, especially as he regarded a temporary boom after the present war as impossible.