The Hutt News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1930. UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 19, 2 October 1930, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1930. UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF.

It is with no desire to comment upon the wisdom or otherwise of our representatives in Parliament that we draw attention to the -provisions which ha.ye now become j 2ax r under "Xke Unemployment , Act 1930." But so many corres- ; ponHcnts have made enquiries as-. to what Mf«Il he the effect o£ the 1 Act upon individuals, that we sub-

j-ci7 a brief and. nontechnical- re-

gsme of the more important clauses as follows: A fund, known

as thx- Unemployment Fund is established, and a Board of Management is set up. The Boardconsists of the Minister in charge;

and two members appointed by

*.hn Minister;..one member nominated by the Bmployers' organisar tioi engaged in primary industries, one member nominated* by Hit organisations of employers engaged in secondary industries: two members nominated by the ci ganisation of workers; and lastly one member nominated by the

Returned Soldiers' Association. Such Board members are to hold office for two years, and are to receive such payment as the Minister of Finance may approve, together with all travelling expenses incurred in transacting thtbusiness of the Board. Every male person residing in New Zealand of the age of twenty years and' upwards is compelled to pay -an annual tax of thirty shillings, by quaujfeqijly insJ;aMents, $ue. r on the first days of March, 'Jxme, September and December. Any S^erson making default in payment of an instalment for more than one month commits an oxfence and is liable on conviction -to a penalty of five pounds and also, without conviction, to a penpenalty of five pounds and also, without conviction, to a penalty of sixpence a month during which payment is in arrear. Exemption is granted from payment

of the levy in favcmr of War Pen-

sioners (total disablement); Pensioners under the Pensions Act 1926; Natives, as denned by the

Native Lands Act (though these

may join, should they so desire);, ' Patients in any Public Hospital or Mental Hospital; inmates of

prisons, reformatory, Borstal Institution, Public or Private Charitable Institution, and by a clause (3) of section 7, it is provided that the Governor in Council on grounds of public policy, may ex-

empt either wholly or in part, from payment of the levy any person or classes of person specified in such Order. Provision is made for the registration of every lriale person of the age of twenty years and upwards who will have to £ttrsiMsh information as to his name in full, his residential address and also business address if any, tiis occupation or calling, and such other particulars as may be required. Such male person must furnish the postmaster or other authorised person with these particulars, and upon registration shall be entitled to a certificate o registration. Failure on the part of the male person above described to furnish particulars within a month from the commencement of the Act, of furnishing particulars false in any material respect renders the offender liable on conviction to a fine of fifty pounds. The functions of the Unemployment Board are many and various, and appear to be generally

to provide against the occurrence of unemployment and the provision of work when it does oceiir. Its scope is very wide and com-

prehensive, including the provision of labour bureaux or exchanges, grants or loans to unskilled workers to enable them to undergo courses of vocational study or training, and enquiry as to any industries that might be introduced to the Dominion with a view to benefitting the unem- ! ployed. The foregoing are only some of the functions of the Board which also include the consideration of applications for sustenance allowances from those in need of such aid. In this regard it appears that only contributees or i payers of the levy are .entitled to any sustenance allowance, which is fixed at one guinea a week for the contributor while his wife or other person in charge of his home and family is entitled, to draw seventeen shillings and sixpence per week, and each child of the levy paye.r.is entitled to four shillings a week v Excepjt^urtdep^gp^c-J ial civeumsfailces. no "susteilaiic'e : allowance is payable until the eontribiator has been unemployed for fourteen days, and no allowance is to be" continued for more than thirteen weeks consecutively. Penalties are imposed upon employers if they employ, or continue to employ for more than seven clays any man who being required to be registered is not so registered, the penalty being fixed at not more than twenty pounds. An employer is also liable, if he continues to employ any employee who is in arrears with Ms quarterly levyPower is taken to make regulations for the purposes of the Act, and it is provided that the Act should come into force and operation on the first of December next. The foregoing particulars are gleaned from a copy of the Bill in the form, in which it was finally passed by the House of Representatives, and transmitted to the ! Legislative Council for assent. Both Houses having passed the. measure it either is or will shortly be law, and our readers will doubt, less agree that under the circumstances it is well to be made ae-

quainted with the provisions of a law imder which anyone might easily become "a cofivicted person solely through ignorance of the new enactment.