DOLE IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 143, 19 June 1931, Page 7

DOLE IN NEW SOUTH WALES

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 9th June.

Giving, ovideneo befoto the Select Committee of the Legislative Council which is inquiring into the Amending Arbitration Bill, Mr. ■ Robert John Colvin, the Chief Accountant of the Now- South. "Wales Treasury, said that according to . the Treasury . books £1,681,879' -was spent, by the Government on food roliof for the unemployed from Ist July, 1930, until sth June last.

During the same' period, said Mr. Colvin, £2J140,387 was spent, on relief works throughout the State. Thus in round figures about £460,000 more was spent.on relief works than on the dole.

Replying to questions by the. chairman of the Committee (Mr. E. H. Farrar, M.L.C.) and Mr.W. Brooks, M.L.C., Mr. Colvin.said that the applications for tho dole were increasing, and it appeared that the cost for the whole of the current financial year would bo at least £2,000,000. . The dole was being paid out of tho Unemployment Kelief Fund and not consolidated revenue. The last Treasurer (Mr. Stevens) had advanced £500,000 to the fund from the Treasury, and this amount was gradually being paid bark. ■ An amount of .£284,820 was still due to tho Treasury from this advance.

The figures quoted by Mr. Colvin arc illuminating as shewing what the peoples of Now SoUth Wales arc paying by "way of unemployment tax to keep the State's vast army of unemployed. A bright feature- of the whole business, however, is tho fact that thoro is an increasing reluctance on the part of tho unemployed. to accept tho dole without attempting to mako some return for it in the way of work performed. Unemployed in various parts of the country have already done a considerable amount of work for local authorities in payment for the relief that they have been afforded by the dole, and in many instances they have assisted the local hospitals by carting firewood and performing other tasks. By this moans they retain their selfrespect, and are able to foci that, they are performing some usnful function for tho community instead of being n constant drain upon ils .resources while milking no return, ___ ■