The Hutt News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1930. UNEMPLOYMENT ACT. Compulsory Registration.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 22, 23 October 1930, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1930. UNEMPLOYMENT ACT. Compulsory Registration.

The Government has lost no time in gazetting what is evidently the first batch of Regulations under the Unemployment Act. This appeared in the N.Z. Gazette of Thursday last, 16th instamt, and, inter alia, provides for the immediate registration of every male person, whether liable or not for the payment of the levy of thirty shillings a year, who must furnish to the local postmaster, or his representative, the particulars previously set out in these columns. Incidentally to this provision, we draw attention of thotee in receipt of old age or other pensions, and who not being liable to the payment of the levy might consider themselves also exempted from the provisions als to registration, to the need for prompt action in this regard. ,As previously stated every male person in the Dominion, from the age of twenty years to one hundred and twenty years; must register at the local post office and secure from the officer in charge a certificate that*-he has complied with this obligajjon; The method by which applications from the inmates of mental hospitals and gaols will be eSwired is not stated, :#ut without exception every male peigon must register, or be liable to heav^ penalties. Registration is now in full swing at the general post office at Lower Hutt and the officials responsible for this duty are carrying on their somewhat difficult task- with courtesy and efficiency. "We have heard of many people Who say that they are "fed up with the filling in of Government forms, and nonsense of that sort"; this is all very welV and many will sympathise with those so agrieved. But it must be remembered that it is the people's representatives, the people themselves in fact, who make the laws. On general principles it can safely be said that we are governed as well as we deserve to be, for we, or an electing majority of us, sent the men -who make these laws to Parliament. And neither the personal opinion of the wisdom or necessity of these forms, schedules of particulars, etc., nor ignorance of the law prescribing the forms to be filled in, and the particulars to be . furnished will be of the slightest avail when the resister faces the Magistrate, whose duty is' is to administer the law as he finds it, and not to consider its wisdom or otherwise. It is quite useless to "kick against the pricks," and in view of the pains and penalties provided for in the Act for the punishment of defaulters, we strongly advise every male resident of our district to get buisy. forthwith—delays are dangerous—and pay a visit to the post office as early as possible. The form of application for registration must be signed by the applicant, and his signature must be witnessed by the signature of "some adult 'person* of competent understanding.'* Presumably this provision, especially the last two words, is for the purpose of security against practical jokes being played upon the department; by inmates of mental hospitals;

buifc oven the most aged and infirm, being unable to proceed to ; the Post Office, will be able to se- \ cure the services of a "person"; (sex not stated) to witness, his j signature, but then again who is : to prove that such witness is of j f competent understanding'? Other •regulations so far gazetted pro^ vide for the election of members of the Unemployment Board, but to all appearances there are many other, points and matters that will necessitate the issue of many other regulations for the due and proper administration of the new Unemployment Act. A final word— in the matter of registration-^----yon-'ve got to do it,: so why not do it now and have it over and done with?