THE UNEMPLOYED

Grey River Argus, 16 August 1934, Page 5

THE UNEMPLOYED

ACCIDENT HARDSHIP Compensation Urged (Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, August 15. In the House Mr J. O’Brien (Westland), asked the Minister of Employment: Whether he would take steps to have relief workers under the unemployment scheme, who meet with accidents, paid adequate compensation to keep them in the nece saries of life. “At the present time, relief workers meeting with accidents while at work only receive two-thirds of the relief rates of pay, which means a severe hardship to them and their families,” said Mr O’Brien.

Mr Young replied that the question ot the measure of relief paid to workers during their periods of disability arising out of their employinert on relief works, was at present under consideration

the Fund Surplus

BETTER PAZ ADVOCATED. WELLINGTON, August 15. Tn the House Mr F. Langstone asked the Minister of Employment whe’ther, in view of the large cash balance he’d in the Unemployment Fund, he would increase the relief allocations in country districts: (a) by putting relief workers in the country districts on the same scale of relief as obtains in thp cities: (b) by doing away with the stand-down week; (c) by’ increasing the allocations for the city relief workers, and bv bringing the country relief workers up to that standard. “With £1,372.534 in hand, added to which is the cash in imprest amounting to £203,163. making a total of £1.575.697. and after allowing for all of the commitments, the fund has a cash balance of £672,000 —a surplus adequate to give a reasonable increase in the relief allocations,” said Mr Langstone. Mr Young replied: The balance in the fund is not considered by the Board to be too large in view of the f:u t that, from June onwards. the heaviest expenditure on ordinary relief purposes frem the fund occurred, in addition provision is required to be made in respect of the new building scheme, an increase in sustenance rates, a reduction in th e general unemployment levy payable by relief workers, and other measures which are at present under consideration The Unemployment Board, he said, was unable to give any present indication of any proposals 'to effect a general increase in the relief aHc cations.