THREE PER CENT.

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 266, 5 August 1932, Page 10

THREE PER CENT.

Administrative Cost of Unemployment CLERKS ON RELIEF In spite of inquiries from various sources throughout the country, the Unemployment Board declines to make any statement concerning its cost of administration beyond a general announcement that this form of expenditure, absorbs below 3 per cent, of revenue. It is estimated that the board’s income this year will be in the vicinity of £3,500,000, and If administration costs 3 per cent, a total of about £105,000 will go In' this direction. Upon the formation of the Unemployment Board it was stated by the Government that administrative costs would be kept down to a minimum by means of arranging that the work should be done by departments already in existence, and although extra staff has had to be employed In certain activities, this policy has been followed as closely as possible. The extension of relief during recent months has increased clerical work considerably, but the board has adopted the policy of placing relief workers at the central depots, and this has meant that although some .of these men are working full time they belong to a class that would have to be placed In any event. '

Statements have been made that the .staff at the Auckland office of the Labour Department numbers about .100. and that between 60 and 70 men are employed at the Wellington office. These staffs are largely made up of men registered as unemployed, and they are being paid according to that status. The staffs were recently increased to cope with the larger amount of clerical work involved in handling the revised scale of relief introduced by Mr. Coates. In view of the fact that the Unemployment Board is spending money wholly raised by means of direct taxation, it Is clear that It will be expected to report fully to Parliament upon its financial position, In order that taxpayers may know exactly in what manner the fund Is being spent. Although nothing official will be said by the board on the question at present, it is expected that Parliament will be presented with a complete statement when it meets next month.