UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 204, 12 August 1932, Page 4

UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY

BELIEF WORKERS’ BEQUEST. EXEMPTION FROM PAYMENT. Wellington, August 11. A request that the payment of the unemployment levy by relief workers should be waived on the ground of hardship was made to the acting Minister of Employment, the Hon. A. Hamilton, by a relief workers’ deputation. The deputation was received privately, but an official statement was issued subsequently on behalf of the Unemployment Board.

The Minister said he could and did appreciate the difficulties of unemployed men and he assured them of his and the board's sympathies in their troubles. He was quite prepared to help wherever possible, but had to confess that remission of the levy was not the easy matter it might appear to be. He pointed out that there were many thousands of employed men who, especially when on rationed work, would receive little more, and sometimes less, than those who were on relief work. These had not only to pay the quarterly levy, but also had to pay the emergency unemployment charge of a shilling in the £. As a matter of equity those persons would also have to be exempted and the board’s income would suffer a further fall. Mr Hamilton pointed out that to grant the deputation’s request would itself mean decreasing the relief workers’ fund by £lOO,OOO or more. He

also said that there were legal difficulties and that an amendment of the Act would be necessary to give effect to the deputation’s request.