UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF SCHEME.

Hutt News, Volume 6, Issue 5, 5 July 1933, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF SCHEME.

The following is a precis from a paper read to the Lower Hutt Chamber of Commerce ibj; one of the member*, •übmitting a relic scheme of umemploy meat:-— " , ' The scheme conforms to several important 'basic principals ibeing (1) The work is of a productive or of a national character; (2) The work provides at least sustenance for the workers and their dependants; (3) The work is additional to that which would be carried out in the near future; (4) Provides for full time payment to all workers; (5) Provides for equal rates of pay or equal work and no pay for no work. ■ ;. ! _( _ i_J NATIONAL. WOKK. Work of -a National Character. Concrete roading should be put iin hand. The reason for concrete roading is that practically all the materials would ibe ©f New Zealand origin, that no especially costly plant \romld ibe required, nor would it be necessary to employ a. great deal of skilled labour. A typical case would be the straightening of the Wellington Hutt Koad, which highway will some day ,be called upon to .bear a very large volume of traffic. (This, work couid (be done at the tfame time as the breakwater 'and reclamation work, and the «o«t of the roading could ibe set off to a large extent fey the value of the land so reclaimed. Under roading which should 'be done ia the .Western Hutt Bead 'to Silver•trea/m, which would then do away with .all railway -crossing south of Silverstream, for Wairarapa traffic. There are many places in New Zealand where extensive concrete roading would ibe of the greatest assistance to the community, and money expended in permanently improving the highways would be much (better than money expended in grubbing grass from iback streets. Other work of a national character is railway extensions from popular euibutfbs such as the extension of tho railway in the Hutt Valley beyond Waterloo. Also the building of bridges fsuch as th.c Contemplated bridge at (Melling, and raising of river stop tfanlks. ' ! ' These works are purely local, and no doubt there are many other -works which could foe done throughout the Dominion which would be of permanent improvement. ' MNAsNIOING. The payment of the wages on all these works should come out of unem-, (ployment levies collected and the pay-. xaent of the materials required should «ome out of loan moneys allocated to the particular district in which the -work is done and repaid over a period of rates or other means. .. In order that all workers should receive the dame wages, it is suggested ♦kat'-as well as wages, family allowances fefcduld be paid and unemployed should "be classified as— Class A.—Single men. Class B—Married men without children. '•' Class C—Married men with wife and one child. Class D. —jMarried men with \rif« and two children. Class E.—Married men with wife and three children. Class P.—Married men with four children. Class <J.—Married men with wife and five or more children. 1 FAMILY AIiLOIWANiOES. Women whose husibands are on relief Work should ibe paid a family allowance ibaeed on the following scale:—^ Class B.—No children, 10/- per week.i Class B.—l child, 15/- per week. (Class D.—i 2 children, £1 per week, iciass E. —3 children, £1/4/- Tex **?*•• IClaaa j\_4 children, £1/7/6 per week., }Cla»s G-.—5 or more children, £1/10/----per week. * , It is suggested that men's wages,' should be £1/5/- and work for five, days 'a week, and this together with, the family allowance would give a to-, i!al income 'to families as follows'. —: (Class A.—Men's wages, £1/5/-; total payment, £15/5/-; amounts received "at present, 15/. ' , Claiss B. —Men's wages £15/5/-; *am" ily allowance, 10/-; total payment *1 ;15/-; amounts received at present £1 daaa C—Men's wages, £1/5/-; family 'allowance 15/-; total payment, £2; amounts received at present £1/10/-. tCljfes B.—Men'« wages £1/5/-; tfamily allowance, £.1; total payment £2 ft/-; amounts received 'at present £1 .I*/-. | lolass JS. —Men's wuges £1/5/-; family allowance, £1/4/-; total payment 453/9/-; amounts received at present, £3. tClasi r.—Men'a wages £1/5/-; family allowance, £1/7/6; total payment, il2/13/6; amounts received at present *a.' ... i Class O.—Men's wages £1/5/-; family allowance, £1/10/-; total £9/15/-; amounts received 'at present, £2. ' i It has been istated that the revenue Approximately whi«h the Unemployment Board can work upon is in the vicinity of £4,000,000. If this is correct it is obvious that further ■assistance cannot be given to 'the men on relief wonk, unless the revenue is increased. It is therefore suggested that (1) The Wages Tax be increased to 1/6 in the £1; (2) The Unemployment levy -be abolished; (3) The second 'and any sutwequent cute in wages or Salary (be restored. ' ; . The increase of 'the wages tax to 1/6 would operate for one y^ear or less .US the number of unemployed would decrease, and the tax would be automatically decreased. The 'abolition of 'the levy wolxia ■mean a losb of £400,000 to the unem.ployiaent board but this Wjould jnxore