UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 July 1935, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

FURTHER CONCESSIONS

[FEB PBEBB ASSOCIATION.)

WELLINGTON, July 13. In an interview, to-day, the Minister of Employment, referring to his announcement that, as from July 1, the Scheme No. 5 and sustenance weekly relief rates would be increased by 2/- for single men and 3/- for married men, stated that owing to the varying conditions in many parts of the Dominion, it became apparent to the Unemployment ~Board that serious administrative difficulty attended the putting into effect of this decision, and consequently, the matter had been occupying the attention of the Board, at a meeting extending over the past few days. The Board has now decided, stated the Minister, to convert this increase, as from July 1, into a free bonus, for which work in return will not be required. This bonus, which is to be regarded as a special relief measure to alleviate hardship during the winter, will be paid to every relief worker who is or becomes eligible for and receives rationed relief work or sustenance under scheme No. 5. The Minister stated that a large number of men had already extra time, in order to Q uali * y the payment of the increase, and now, owing to its conversion into a bonus, such men would within the next few »'"e pay wtthout work, for a period equivalent to the extia time so worked. Amandins instructions, With the above decisran, are non in course of preparation, and will be issued to certifying officers an< V® al ' ploying authorities at a b ear . ly .^ at it’ . The Minister also referred to the recent controversy regarding the principle of all owing Schen '®. employing authorities to work men to the nearest half-day below the.r allocation instead of requiring them to work the fuU number of hours represented by their allocation.^ In exr.lanation of this, he stated that previously, where the working time did not fit evenly into half-days, the employing authorities were permitted at their discretion to arrange for men to work to the nearest half-day below their allocation. The Board has now decided that this cone ssion can generally be adopted by local bodies as the Board appreciates that in many cases it is unreasonable to require relief workers to proceed to jobs for an hour or two when they might more profitably be engaged in exploring avenues of private employment. Then, again, difficulties may be confined to the transport of men to and from jobs, and the added concessions now indicated should make it possible for a more general application of the principle Generally speaking, the employing authorities would be authorised to apply the concession to the fullest degree with the exception only of those cases where insuperable difficulties exist. The Board has also given attention to the question of private earnings, or other private income allowable, and has decided to increase the present scale by allowing a worker to eurn from private sources a further 5/- a week before any reduction is made in his relief allocation.