UNEMPLOYMENT

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20083, 12 November 1930, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT

LEVY.

I.A9T DAY FOR RBGIBTRA-

TION.

OVBR 81, WO IS CHRIBT€IHHicH

Up till 5 p.m. yesterday, the last day for registration under the Unemployment Act, 24,159 men over twenty years of age had registered in Christchurch. It is estimated that over 7000 have registered at suburban offices, which brings the total to more than 31,000 for City and suburbs. How many are unregistered in this area it is difficult to say, but the number must be well over a thousand.

Further registrations will bo dealt with by tho Post Office authorities as they come in, but everyone who should have sent in a form, but who has not done so, is liable to a fine not exceeding &50, under the provisions of the Act though it is improbable that this ■will' be enforced immediately. Accurate figures from the suburban offices are expected to be ready to-day. Those from the country offices are sent direet- to Wellington. Last Minute Bush. ?The last minuto rush usually associated with enrolments of this kind was in evidence at the Chief Post Office yesterday afternoon, where, at 4 o'clock, there was a largo queue waiting' to hand in their forms. Some of those who were unlucky enough to be in the queue had to wait twenty minutes before they could obtain their receipts, which are accepted as proof of registration. Pirst Instalment in December. The first quarterly payment of 7s 6d under the Act is due on December Ist, the succeeding three in March, June, and September of next year. The total payment of 30s may be made all at onco by those who wish to do so. The levy or instalment may also be paid at any post office when it becomes due. It is not necessary to pay it in the same town or district as that in which the registration wag made. The simplicity of the form of registration was responsible for a minimum of irregularities in filling it in. The few enquiries which were made were promptly answered by the postal authorities. All the work in connexion with the registration has bean handled by the officers of the Department without any additions in staff in Christchurch.

NONPAYMENT OF

LEVY.

THREAT BY UNIONISTS.

[9SZ rSBSS Special Barries.}

WELLINGTON. November 11

Prefacing his remark with a request that it should be published, a suggestion that unionists might refuse to pay th® annual levy of 30s unless they could elect their own representatives to the Unemployment Board was made by Mr J. Roberts, secretary of the New Zealand Alliance of Labour, when a deputation from that body waited upon the Acting-Primo Minister and the Minister for Labour to-day. Mr Roberts said certain unions had already made declarations that they would • not pay the levy unless _ they could have their way, and he said the position might be serious if the Government found itself faced with a gen- J ernl refusal. He wanted the Act to function, but he could not see that it would be possible unless the Government agreed to do what the Alliance asked. He asked what would happen if the workers refused to pay the levy, j He then requested that Tiis next remark concerning the attitude of certain unions should be published. This was to the effect that certain unions had already made declarations that thev would not pay the levy unless the workers oould elect their own repreeentatives on the Unemployment Board. _ The Minister for Labour: Then they cannot be employed. Mr Roberts asked what would happen if every man on the waterfront refused to pay the levy. Shipping would be brought to a standstill. _ A voice: They can't put us all l«, Jimmy. . . , , .. Mr Roberts said he had asked tho unions not to send in declarations refusing to pay the levy, but they had done 'go. He inferred that a serious position might arise if th© refusal were general. ~ , "I agree that the thing was not mentioned in the House at the time, Mr Roberts concluded, and one or two members of the deputation interjected with "Sh-sh." "I do not know why they did not talk in the House," he added. "Some I of the men who speak about democracv j should have spoken at th© time and got the thing rectified."

ELECTION OF BOARD.

BEQUEST BY WORKERS. (»U1 4BSOCIATIOH TtLlattli.) WELLINGTON. November 11. A deputation from the Alliance of Labour waited on the Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) and the Minister for Labour (the Hon. S. G. Smith) requesting that the workers should be allowed to vote for their two representatives on the Unemployment Board. It «-as stated that unless the Government acceded to this request they would not have the co-operation of the workers, and the scheme would be a failure. In the course of his reply Mr Smith said that the Arbitration Court representative was elected by meetings of unions at which only about one-thiru of the total mem prs were present. "Under that method thousands of workers did not have a vote. Forty nominations had been received from unions, and- one man had been nom:nated by 44 unions, representing 20.0iw workers. It oould be said that he did not represent the workers. Mr Roberts: He does not represent the workers any more than you represent the whole of Taran«ki. Mr Smith said neither the returned soldiers nor the employers had asked for a vote. The Board could not increase the levy without the consent of Parliament. Mr Glover: Bv Order-in-Council. Mr Smith: .No. Only Parliament can increase the levy. Mr Glover: The Board can moke Buescestions. Mr Smith: yes, but they cannot increase the levy. The Minister said the cost of administration would be low. No n«w vaa being Mb £bo