BRITISH UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18342, 7 March 1923, Page 9

BRITISH UNEMPLOYED.

INSURANCE BENEFITS.

EXTENSION TO OCTOBER.

LABOUR DISSATISFIED. By Telegraph—Press Association Copyright. (Received 12.5 a.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, March 5. The Minister for Labour, Sir M. Barlaw, moved the second reading of the Unemployment Insurance Act Amendment Bill to extend benefits to October. He warned Boards of Guardians not to try to improve upon the present generous scale of benefits. He said that in many areas the Guardians' relief and the insurance benefit together were equivalent to the standard rate for unskilled labour. Mr. J. R. Clynes (Labour) complained that the measure was insufficient and disappointing. Dr. T. J. Macnamara (Liberal) urged that public utility schemes and Empire settlement schemes should be used to decrease unemployment.

Mr. A. Hayday (Labour) disapproved of insurance by industries because industries with the lowest percentage of unemployment would contract out of the scheme, leaving the residue of casual seasonal trades to bear the burden.

Mr. Sidney Webb (Labour) said that 600.000 unemployed were not getting unemployment benefit owing to the increasing stringency of the administration. There was growing dissatisfaction against the Government on this account.

The Bill was read a second time without division.