UNEMPLOYMENT ACT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21244, 27 January 1931, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT ACT.

PARTICULARS OF EXEMPTIONS. STATEMENT BY MR S. G. SMITH. The chairman of the Unemployment Board. (Mr S. G. Smith) has issued the following statement: — Though a good deal of publicity lias been given to the details of exemptions under the Unemployment Act, the board’s mailbag daily contains piles of letters asking for information. The Act itself and the regulations subsequently made supply the following particulars, and the forms necessary for making application may be obtained at any money order office. The. exempted persons are:— Any person who, on the due date of a quarterly instalment and during the whole of the preceding month has been registered as unemployed and has received no income. Persons, 65 or over, whofce income for the three months preceding the date of the instalment due did not exce-id an average of £2 per week. Men in receipt of war pensions in respect of total disablement on account of services with his Majesty’s Forces in the war of 1914-19. Those in receipt of pensions under the Pensions Act, 1926. Natives within the meaning of the Native Land Act.

Every person who, on the due date of any instalment of the levy, is an inmate of any public hospital or mental hospital, r or of any public or private charitable institution for the relief of the aged, needy, or infirm or of persons requiring medical or surgical treatment. Inmates of any prison, reformatory or Borstal institution. Students who, on the due date of an instalment, are enrolled at university , colleges or - other educational institutions and are not in receipt of salary or wages. Every person who, on the due date of any instalment of the levy, is an the whole of the month on the first day of which such instalment was due, was unable, through physical or mental disability, regularly to follow any occupation or calling, and. whose income during the preceding three months did not exceed an average of £2 per week Practically speaking, this list excludes all those who are not receiving a living wage, the aged poor and ailing, and those who are ilnemployable. In addition to the foregoing, persons who by reason of sickness or poverty would suffer undue hardship by paying an instalment of the levy, and members of religious bodies, the rules of which forbid the possession of property other than personal clothing and similar effects, may apply for exemption by writing to the Unemployment Commissioner, Wellington, It is therefore evident that the board is administering the Act with a scrupulous regard for the less fortunate individuals in the community, though, of) course, this will result in the revenue from the levy being considerably less than was at first anticipated. THE AUCKLAND REGISTER. NUMBER STILL INCREASING. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, January 26. The unemployed registered in Auckland now exceed 4000. The figures, which were placed before this morning’s meeting of the Auckland Unemployment Committee, indicate that the number registered for the week ended on Saturday last was 4038, an increase of 416 on the returns for the previous week. Of the latest registrations 3079 men are reported as being fit for heavy work'and 950 for light work. /