TOTAL OVER 31,000

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 150, 21 March 1931, Page 8

TOTAL OVER 31,000

Unemployment Figures LAST WEEK’S RETURNS Details of Registrations Although new or renewed applications totalled 570.1 for the week ended March 1(1, 16.237 men were qualified for and placed in work under the Unemployment Board's schemes No. 2 and 5. Discussing the situation the Hon. S. G. Smith, Minister of Labour, stated yesterday that this meant there was a decrease for the week of 1403. The total number of registered unemployed for the week was 31,678, as compared with 29.941 for the previous seven days, an apparent increase of 1737. Particulars of registrations in the main centres for the week under review are as follow:—

The total registrations in the centres mentioned were ns follow, figures for the previous week being shown in parentheses :—

Excluding men placed under schemes 2 and 5, as mentioned above, the position regarding registrations was as follows at March 16:— Auckland 5056 Wellington 1484 Christchurch 986 Dunedin ..... 521 Invercargill 165 Other towns 7230 Total 15,442

ASKED TO REGISTER Unemployed Girls The question of finding work for the large number of unemployed girls in Wellington is causing much concern to the women’s organisations in the city, and these bodies are taking steps to ascertain full particulars with a view to placing the position nt an early date before a combined meeting of the several organisations. In the meantime, all girls who are unemployed have been asked to register at the Labour Office situated in the Te Aro Post Office, Ghuznee Street. Steps are being taken by the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association to ascertain from local "manufacturers who employ female labour the number of girls they employed twelve months ago, and the number employed at the present time. ACTION TAKEN Hutt County Cuts Reduction of the salaries of the employees of the Hutt County Council was announced in a statement by the chairman of the council, Mr. D. R. Hoggard, yesterday afternoon. “After serious consideration,” he said "the council had decided to reduce the salaries of its administrative officers by 10 per cent., and to cancel the increase of 1/- a day granted to its other employees in 1929. The council had come to its decision with great reluctance, and it asked those officers aud employees to bear in mind the excessive rates winch the counts’ ratepayers had long endured —rates which were excessive from no fault of the council or its employees,. “The fall in the prices of farm produce has made these excessive rates now quite unendurable,” said Mr. Hoggard. 1 have examined some typical cases of sheep farmers in the county whose rates this year absorb half and more of the wool cheque. Relief must be given to these people from their heavy burdens. Making due allowance for alterations which have taken place in the area of the county and for changes made in the collection of the hospital and charitable aid rate, I find that we now collect by way of general rates £3/10/- for every £1 we collected in 1913-14, and by way of hospital and charitable aid rates £4/10/- for every £1 we collected in 1913-14. During the interim our roadmen’s wages have been increased from 8/6 a day to 14/-. It is obvious that the increase in rates is not wholly or mainly due to the increase in wages, but the increase of wages has been a material factor, and a recent decision to make some reduction in wages will enable a small, though very small, measure of relief to be given to the ratepayers.”

Auckland With, depths. ... 451:: Without depots. 2463 Wellington ... 2301 11)56 Christchurch .. 2374 1557 1 hincdin ... ... 1201 1310 Invercargill .... 548 350

A uckfritid ..,.. ... (‘>976 (671S) ‘ - - ... 4257 (4363) Christchurch ... 3931 (3635) DnnpdiH ...... ... 2571 (2339) Invercargill ... 89S (791)