UNEMPLOYED INSURANCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 1 September 1925, Page 7

UNEMPLOYED INSURANCE.

NEW SOUTH WALES RILL. The Labour Governments in power in some of the Australian States are ven- • luring into the field of idealistic poli- ' tics. Recently the Quenseland Govetn- ■ meat announced its intention of introducing a child endowment measure, by i which the large famines of the State would ’be helped by grants from the Slate Treasury. Now the newly-elected Government in New South Wales is bidding for popular favour with two measures, designed, in one instance, to heli) widows, and in the other to. assist unemployed. Information is being obtained with a view to drafting Rills to effect tliese proposals, both of which were promises made by Mr Lang in his pel cv speech. Naturally finance is the important feature of both proposals," and it is finance that might prevent the Labour Party from giving full effect to its desires. Mr Lang, however, is convinced :.hat- he will be ab’e to find the money necessary to pay widows’ pensions, as he estimates that the number of women who would lie entitled to such pensions would be much lower than the number estimated by his opponents. The suggested pension is at present £1 per week, with allowances to widows with children. It is the unemployed insurance proposal that is regarded in trade union circles as the most important of the measures forecasted by the Premier in his policy speech. It is the present intention of the Ministry'to frame a Rill that will provide sustenance allowing for bona fide unemployed after, sav. six months’ residence in the State. The Ministry, has not decided what the amount- will he. but the Labour Par tv wants the following scale: —Unmarried males or females, widowers and widows, 2os .per week each ; male workers supporting a wife and family, £2 10s per week; children under 16 years of age, supported by a male worker, Gs ner week each. An unemployment insurance fund will probably lie created, and will be controlled by the Treasury. The fund wil> be established principals from contributions from the workers 'and the employers, and probably a contribution from the State funds. Everv worker over a specified age whose wage or salary is governed by an award of the court will be called upon to contribute. Provisions will lie inserted in Mio measure safeguarding the fund from persons who are unwilling to accent work when offered to them, it •will also he Provided that persons wvl not lye eligible to receive sustenance allowed if it proved that he or she became unemployed solely by his or her own fault. Old-age pensions probably will also be excluded from the provisions of the Act.