UNEMPLOYMENT TAXES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21118, 27 February 1932, Page 13

UNEMPLOYMENT TAXES.

TUESDAY THE LAST DAY.

PENALTIES FOR DEFAULT. RECEIVING STAFF BUSY. Tuesday next will be the last day of grace for those who have not paid the two levies for unemployment relief, which became due 011 February 1. One of these payments is the third instalment of 5s of the general unemployment levy and tho other is tho second instalment of the emergency charge on two-thirds of incomo for the year ended March 31, 1931.

During the past few weeks payments have been received at the public office of the Wellesley Street post office. In order to cope with tho steady stream of people now discharging their obligations a special staff has been established in the largo room at the back of the Wellesley Street office. Failure to pay the emergency charge within a month of tho due date renders tho offender liable to a fine of £5 and to a penalty equal to 10 per cent, of tho amount of tho charge. A similar fine is provided in cases of default in payment of the unemployment levy and there is also a penalty of sixpenco for every month or part of a month beyond the first month.

ADMINISTRATION OP RELIEF.

LOCAL BODIES CONCERNED. Steps for the immediate overhaul of tho administration of relief in regard to unemployment and charitablo aid were strongly urged at a meeting of the Otahuhu Unemployment Committee, when it was decided to endeavour to convene a meeting of all contributing local bodies in the Auckland Hospital Board area. The chairman, Mr. H. T. Clements, said local bodies had been waiting for some indication of policy from the Unemployment Board and the majority of them had arrived at the stago when it would not bo possible to continue scheme 5 any longer. The Auckland bodies were moving in tho matter, but apparently their proposals applied only to tho city. On tho motion of Mr. F. M. Waters it was decided to ask tho Mayor of Auckland to extend the proposals of his reorganisation scheme to include tho entiro territory of the Auckland Hospital Board area. A further resolution recommended that there be set up a complete organisation to deal entirely with unemployment relief.

" INADEQUATE PAYMENTS."

FIGURES TO BE COMPILED. "Wo oughfc to impress upon the Unemployment Board and the Government tho total inadequacy of the allocations for relief wages," said Mr. F. M. Waters at a meeting of the Otahuhu Unemployment Committee on Thursday evening, when a statement was submitted from the local relief workers showing their financial position. The statement showed that on the present scale of relief the monthly income from relief wages of 103 men would be £434. The actual rents payable amounted monthly to £403, leaving £Bl to maintain the men and their dependants for the month. The total number of persons to be maintained from that sum was 424 and the sum available per head each month was 3s 9.94 d. Mr. Waters said he had examined the figures in respect of men employed in tho Manukau County and the married men were receiving 21s lid and 32s Bd. The local bodies were straining their resources to keep men employed, but it was no encouragement to find men expected to live on these small amounts. He knew of single men who were getting as low as 4s 6d a week. "Payment of that sort is an inducement to dishonesty and we ought to put the facts plainly before tho Government," added Mr. Waters. It was decided, on the motion of the chairman, Mr. H. T. Clements, Mayor of Otahuhu, to ask tho local bodies in the committee's area to submit statements at tho next meeting with a view to forwarding a comprehensive statement to the Unemployment Board.