UNEMPLOYMENT ACT

Evening Star, Issue 20666, 13 December 1930, Page 12

UNEMPLOYMENT ACT

NEW REGULATIONS PREPARED EXEMPTIONS PROVIDED [Pur United Puess Association.] WELLINGTON, December 12. Regulations, to bo gazetted shortly, have now been made under the Unemployment Act, wholly exempting Irom navraent of the levy every person who, having served in the war of .1911-1919 as a member, of any of His Majesty s naval, military, or air forcesj raised in any part of the British dominions, is for the time being in receipt of a pension granted by the Government of any British jurisdiction in respect of his total disablement through such sendee, and exempting to the extent specified the following persons and classes of persons;— (1) Every person who, on the due date of such quarterly instalment is sixty-live years of age or over, and whoso income from all sources. during the three months immediately preceding such due date has not exceeded an average sum of £2 per week, and who has not obtained the consent of tho Unemployment Board to his exclusion from the exemption hereby created, provided that any person seeking the consent of the board to such exclusion shall make application in writing to the board in that behalf, setting out the grounds thereof, provided also that tho consent of the board may at any time bo withdrawn, after a reasonable notice to the person aifocted, provided also that, the person affected may at any time, by a notice in writing to the hoard elect, notwithstanding any such consent, to claim the benefit oi exemption hereby created.. (2) Every person who on the due date of such quarterly instalment and for at least the whole of tho month on first day of which such instalment is due is through auy physical or .mental disability unable regularly to follow auy occupation orecalling for a livelihood, and whoso income from all sources during the three months immediately preceding such duo date has not exceeded an average sum of £2 per week. (3) Every person who is for tho lime being a member of a religious body whoso rules forbid tho possession by its members of any personal property except clothing anil similar personal effects. . (4) Every person who on. tho date of such quarterly instalment and during the whole of tho month immediately preceding such duo date, has been registered as unemployed at tho office of tho Department of Labour .and has not received any income. (5) Every person in respect of whom tho Unemployment Board is satisfied by resolution passed within six weeks prior to tho duo date of siich quarterly instalment that by reason of sickness or poverty it would produce undue hardship upon such person or his dependants,to require such person to pay tho said instalment-

THE QUESTION OF SUBSIDIES

MEMORANDUM BY BOARD [Prn United Pitr.ss Association.] WELLINGTON, December 12. That portion of the Unemployment Board’s scheme relating to the subsidy on harvesting work has drawn criticism from the secretary of tho New Zealand Workers’ Union, who said in a statement published to-day that the scheme would tend to break down the fovv Arbitration Court,awards operating in the interests of tho rural workers. Ho added that his union had instructed the workers to refuse to accept work on tho harvest fields at a lesser rate than that paid to threshing mill workUnder the board’s 'scheme a subsidy will bo paid oil the wages of,men engaged in harvesting, provided, or course, that they are engaged ,as a special relief measure, and not in tho ordinary course of employment by tho employer. The point at issue has been definitely cleared up , by a special mc r morandum drawn up by tho board for local committees to-day, and, which reads: “Tho board wishes specially to emphasise that tho harvesting to bo included for subsidy does nob include harvesting of wheat, oats, barley, or 'maize, unless for ensilage, nor does it include harvesting where labour ■would otherwise, bo engaged 3ii any Tho attention-of tho board has also ’been >-drawn' to complaints by local bodies that they were unable to obtain £2 for £1 subsidies under tho first Christmas relief scheme. However, it is {minted out that tho board would not under this scheme give any subsidy to local bodies on Government or highway funds. All subsidies wore granted on local authorities’ revenue hinds or special contributions raised by them'•tor unemployment relief. It is clear that if the board gave a subsidy on money granted to a local authority by tho Cjovcnimeut it would bo mailing a straight-out gift of, State hinds and not making a subsidy at all. [b’S would apply equally to the granting of subsidies on highways funds. A protest has been made by the mayor of-Thames that his council s leanest for a subsidy was refused. I ion - ever, in this Case the borough was prepared to provide £IOO lor a certain work' and'-the Highways Board £-00. A subsidy of £2 for £1 was sought on £3OO, but tbo hoard would then bo subsidising tbo Highways Board and not the council.

GENERAL LABOURERS’ UNION A J’llOmST. ■ At tho Inst mooting of thy Otago and HouthJuml General .LubourGi s Union a --resolution was carried conveying an emphatic protest against-the decision of the Unemployment-'.Hoard, in so far as the methods adopted, are to subsidise work hitherto subsidised by tho Government. It Was hold that such 'a / course would improve the capital value of tho property of tho, {vroportyowning class, and develop the common belief that it was essential to reduce the standard of living of wage earners. A protest was also recorded against the decision to collect 7s Cd per quarter from tho workers to force the unemployed to accept work at a reduced rate of wages, as. the union believed that the unemployment funds should he utilised to sustain those who were thrown outside the industrial gates until they could ho found employment at a rale of wages sufficient'to maintaiu a reasonable standard: of living.