CONTINUANCE OF RELIEF

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 76, 31 March 1922, Page 7

CONTINUANCE OF RELIEF

NEW INSURANCE BILL

"REMEDY THAT AGGRAVATES

DISEASE."

(UNITED TRESS ASSiCUTIM.-^eyTRMHT.) (AUSTRALIAN - NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, 30th March. I In the House of Commons, Dr. Macnamara (Minister of Labour), in moving the second reading of the Unemployment Insurance Bill, said that since. 10th January the number-of totally unemployed had fallen from 1,934.000 to 1,762.000, and the partially unemployed from 303,900 to 236,000, but the engineering and shipbuilding dispute threatened .to throw back the country. There should be , a resolute determination to settle the dispute equitably in order to take the fullest advantage of the turn of the commercial tide. The new Bill was necessary to continue unemployment doles of fifteen shillings per week to a man and twelve shillings to a woman, with five shillings for a man's wife and a shilling for each child. The Bill provided for fifteen weeks' benefits j to the end of October, in three instalments of five weeks each, with gaps of five weeks between. Mr. J. H. Thomas explained that while the Labour Party supported the Bill, he wished to reaffirm his protest against this method of dealing with unemployment. A change of Government . could hot, solve unemployment. It was an international problem. Mr. A. Hopkinson moved the rejection of the Bill. Like many quack remedies, he said, it only added to the gravity of the disease. After debate the Bill was read a second time without division. Dr. Macnamara, replying to questions, said the total unemployment benefits paid by the Government amounted to £15,900.000 in 1920, and £62,500,000. in 1921. For the first quarter of 1922 the payments were estimated at £16,500,000. , "