UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20716, 8 November 1930, Page 13

UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY.

PROTEST AUAINST ACT.

BURDENS ON PRODUCERS.

' FARMERS DEMAND RELIEF

RESOLUTION AT MATAMATA

fpv TF.I.E(APH. —OWN" CORRESPONDENT. 1 MATAMATA. Friday.

The opposition of primary producers to tho Unemployment Act and its provision for the levy of a tax to aid the unemployed was expressed in strong terms at a meeting of farmers held in the Matamata Town Hall this evening. Mr. 1). B. Higgins, president of tho Matamata branch of the Farmers' Union, presided ■over an attendance of over .100 farmers, representing tlie district extending from Jlorrinsville to Putaruru. Tho chairman said there were 27,000 fewer farmers in New Zealand to-day than thero were 10 years ago, yet the number of civil servants and Public Works Department employees had greatly increased. Ho maintained that there would be no unemployment in New Zealand if matters wore better managed. Mr. lliggins criticised the operations of tho Arbitration Court and the customs tariff. He said the •principle of tho Unemployment Act was ivrong, and ho felt that it should be repealed. Mr. Higgins moved: "That this meeting of farmers an;l others in the. Matamata (district view with dismay the apparent indifference of the Government to the des. perate condition of the. exporting industries, and protests against tho continual additions, instead of the removal, of tho crushing burdens of direct and indirect taxation imposed on producers. Further, ihat this meeting demands the repeal of the Unemployment Act under its present form, and emphatically protests against any money in tho form of sustenance allowance being paid without work, and demands that immediato action bo taken ■fry Cabinet to relieve tho pressure from ■the primary producer to enable him to carry on." Mr. W. H. Allen suggested that the farmers should take political action and gend their own representatives to Parliament. Tho farmers were warned about the Act before it became law, and they should have called their meetings of prolost earlier. (Hear, hear.) In reply to a question the chairman said tho solution of tho unemployment problem was the removal of duties on necessities, the imposition of further dutie3 on luxuries, increased incomo tax and an effort to make rural life more attractive. ■After a good deal of discussion the resolution of protest was carried with en thusiasi'u. A suggestion that tho resolution be for■warded to the Government in the form of a petition was adopted. It was decided, that Mr. Higgins and two others should form a deputation to wait on the Minister concerned. It was agreed that farmers' unions throughout the district should be invited to send deputations to Wellington. A rush to the platform to sign the petition then ensued, and a considerable sum of money was contributed to pay tho expenses of the deputation. CRITICISM AT AUCKLAND. COMMENT BY. MINISTER. [RV' TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON", Friday. When the message from Auckland with reference to tho objections offered by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce to the Unemployment. Act was shown to the Hon. S. G. Smith, Minister of Labour, his comment was brief. "It is pathetic to think that after all the explanations given by the press, in addition to reI>orts of the lengthy discussions in Pariament, leading business men should corne along and make such discoveries as this."

REGISTRATION OF NAMES. ■ ■/ LATE RUSH EXPECTED. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] WELLINGTON, Friday. A rough estimate of the Dominion total liable to register under the Unemployment Act shows that about 450,000 persons will bei supplied with booklets for the payment of the annua! levy of 30s. Up to to-day it was estimated that about 300,000 had registered. It is, therefore, likely that there will be a considerable rush within the next few days,