RELIEF RATES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21332, 5 November 1932, Page 10

RELIEF RATES

REDUCED ALLOCATIONS LOWER BY 10 PER CENT FEWER HOURS TO BE WORKED COMMENCING NEXT WEEK [BY TELEGRArH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Friday "It is quite correct that Hie Unemployment Board intends to cut clown allocations." said the acting-Minister of Employment, the Hon. A. Hamilton, in the House of Representatives to-day, in answering questions regarding the truth of reports that such action was contemplated. "We gave extra relief during winter months and the fund has become overexpended," said the Minister. "1 hat extra provision ran out at the end of September, but the extra expenditure was extended, and I got a bit of a fr'ght when I last saw the figures. The fund is quite good, but we could not meet all commitments and still have enough—" Mr. A. S. Richards {Labour—Roskill): Then you did not have a surplus of £IOO,OOO, as you said in your recent statement. Uniform Reductions The Minister: Yes, we could meet all our commitments up to a certain date and still have a surplus, but you have to understand the form in which the accounts are made out. There will be uniform reductions in allocations. In a subsequent interview, Mr. Hamilton said that a reduction in the Unemployment Board's allocations by approximately 10 per cent would be made from next week throughout New Zealand, 'lhe reduction would not mean that unemployed men would have their wages reduced but simply that they would now work proportionately fewer hours weekly. The Minister said that although a surplus of £IOO,OOO was correctly shown on the earlier statement and the fund was still in a sound position, the Unemployment Board had been spending beyond its average revenue during the winter and an adjustment had now to be made. Commitments to Consider In addition, be pointed out that the board had to consider commitments ahead entailed by such schemes as No. 4 (farming) and No. 10 (building, painting and repairs). Mr. M. J. Savage (Labour—Auckland West) asked in the House whether there had been a reduction from 12 to six months in the time seamen were allowed to undertake relief work in and round cities before being drafted to the country. He emphasised the advisability of keeping men handy to ports. The Minister said that the period during which seamen were permitted to undertake relief work in and round cities had recently been reduced to six months, because there had been a good deal of objection from other people. Carpenters, for instance, considered they had an equal claim to this privilege, which, it had to be remembered, had not been extended to all sections of the community.