PAYMENT OF THE LEVY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 72, 26 March 1931, Page 12

PAYMENT OF THE LEVY

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—During my recent tour in the North Island I was struck by .the number of persons eligible to register in terms of the Unemployment Act, 1930, who admitted that they had not registered, and in some cases registration forms had been completed but no instalments of the unemployment levy had been paid. The men affected were, in all cases, working full time. In view of this, it occurs to me to ask how many thousands of those eligible to pay have not yet paid their first instalment of the levy and what steps have been taken by the Unemployment Board to augment the unemployment fund by the addition of the £5 fine due to that fund in all such cases. AVith a view to finding work for some of the unemployed clerks, I would suggest that a number of these in each district be <riven employment by the board to canvass such district with power to demand the production of levy books in all cases. This move, I feel sure, would do a great deal to remove the suggestion—quite openly made—that payment of the unemployment levy is not being pressed.—l am, PAID IN ERROR. The official reply to the above letter is: —"The number of persons who have registered and the number who have paid the first instalment of the levy are siifticient to indicate that those who have failed to comply with the provisions of the Unemployment Act are not so numerous as the correspondent suggests. It is only to be expected that when an Act of this description is first introduced there will be a certain number who, through ignorance or through a desire to evade the provisions of the Act, will fail to carry out their obligations. Steps have already been taken to enforce the provisions of the Act."