Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, JULY 26, 1926. “THE RIGHT TO WORK.”

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 201, 26 July 1926, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, JULY 26, 1926. “THE RIGHT TO WORK.”

The member for Wellington Central (Mr P. Erasex*) in iiis “Unemployed Workers” Bill now before Parliament, gives us a very fair indication of wbat maj r be expected should he and his colleagues ever gain possession of the Treasury benches in this country. The measure he has introduced is fairly comprehensive and, from the workers’ point of view, will probably be regarded as excellent. Eroin the standpoint of the general public it is the opposite; for, if carried, it would introduce into this country that most objectionable . thing—- “ The Dole,” which has had such a mischievous effect upon the workers of the Mother Country. The measure as sponsored by MiEraser, designedly or otherwise, throws the onus of unemployment and its remedy largely upon the employing class, who would be saddled, under its operation, with additional burdens to those they already carry under the Workers’ Compensation Act and similar measures. It proposes to set up, in the first place, an Unemployment Board, the chairman of which would be the Minister of Labour, together with one representative of the Public Works Department; one representative of the local bodies; one employers’ representative and three workers’ representatives. The local bodies’, employers’ and wox-kers’ representatives are to' be elected annually, under a system of proportional representation to be prescribed by regulations under the Act itself. The Board would be invested with very considerable powers of action and, in any enquiries it might institute, would be deemed to be a commission within the meaning of the Commissions of Inqiiiry Act, 1908. An unemployment insurance fund would be created under the measure, the main contributions to which would apparently have to be made by the employers themselves, the Minister of Labour being empowered “in respect of each year ending the 31st day of March to make and levy an assessment on every employer” (vide Clause 9, Section 1). Section 2 of Clause 9 provides that “the assessment payable by each employer in respect of the year ending the 31st day of March, 1927, shall be a sum equal to £2 for each worker employed by him in the calendar jrnar 1926.” Subsequent assessments would be made by the Minister each year, of such amounts as would be fixed by the Minister upon the recommendation of the Board, with the proviso that “the assessment shall be based on the number of workers employed by each employer in the year in question, or on such other basis as may from time to time be prescribed.” All moneys received by way of assessment from employers would be paid into the

unemployment insurance fund, together" with such moneys as Parliament might appropriate from time to time for the purpose. That such an insurance fund * would press heavily upon employers of labour there can be no question. Not content, however, with placing this additional tax upon the employing community, Mr Eraser’s bill empowers (Clause 10, Section 1) the Gover-nor-in-Council -to direct employers to take steps to remedy unemployment and, in the event of the employer failing to comply with such order, the Minister would be empowered, “by way of penalty, to levy upon such employer an additional assessment of such amount, not exceeding the assessment of such employer for the year in which the default occurs.” It is true that, against such assessment, the employer would have the right to appeal to a- Stipendiary Magistrate, but Sub-section 2 of Clause 10 provides that the appeal shall be heard and determined by such Magistrate “in accordance with the regulations and his decision shall be final and conclusive” ; so that, with regulations made by a Socialistic Government, by Order-in-Council, any sort of injustice might be possible. INTRODUCING THE DOLE. Under the heading “Right to "Work,” Clause 16 of Mr Eraser’s Bill, Section 1, reads “Every unemployed worker shall have the right to apply to be registered and to be registered for employment at any Government Labour Bureau.” The clause further provides that, unless any worker so registered is provided with work within seven days from the date of his registration, “he shall, until he is so provided with work, have the right to be paid an unemployed maintenance allowance at the rate set forth in the schedule to this Act.” The “maintenance payment,” as it is termed, provided for in the schedule would give to individual workers without dependants a sum of £2 weekly; a married worker, with wife or incapacitated husband dependent, would receive £3 and, in addition, “for each child of worker under 16 years of age, or for other person wholly dependent,” a sum of 10s weekly. These amounts presumably would be paid out of the unemployment insurance fund which, however, .is apparently intended to also provide the funds necessary for relief works which may be undertaken by the Government or the local authorities, Section 4 of Clause 8 providing that “all payments in respect of unemployed workers and of the administration of this Act shall be payable out of the fund.” The provisions of the bill in respect to special works, which it provides should be undertaken to reduce unemployment, make it incumbent upon the Government and the local authorities, no matter what the character of the work undertaken may be, to make payment “at the standard rate of wages as fixed by industrial agreements or awards of a Court of Arbitration, or, if no industrial agreement or award is given, the prevailing wage for similar work in the district in which the special work is located.’’ Heavy penalties are provided for any offences against the Act, and wide powers are given to the Govornor-General-in-Council to issue by Order-in-Council “such orders and give such directions and proscribe such rules as will, in his judgment, bo calculated to safeguard the requirements and well being of the people, or to give good effect to the provisions of the Act.” We can scarcely imagine Mr Eraser expects the measure to run the gauntlet of tho existing Parliament and to find its way upon the statute book. The burdens and limitations already imposed upon tho employing class are sufficiently onerous to act as a deterrent,upon thoso who might otherwise be inclined to open up fresh avenues of employment., and Mr Eraser’s Bill, if carried into law, would, in its penalising operations upon employers generally, still further restrict the capital in which any great amount of employment might be looked for.