REDUCED REGISTRY OFFICE FEES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13093, 5 June 1913, Page 7

REDUCED REGISTRY OFFICE FEES.

(Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, last night.

The registry office keepers in Auckland are much concerned over the new regulations in force from the first of the current month, under which the scale of fees chargeable has been reduced.

A deputation waited upon the Prime Minister to-day in connection with the matter, being introduced by Mr Harris, M.P.

On behalf of the deputation, Mr C. J. Saunders said that the new regulation had come as a surprise. Only short notice of the alterations had been received, and in one case no notice whatever. The registry office keepers of Auckland felt aggrieved at this shortness of notice. If the reduced fees were insisted upon it would mean that some of them would have to cease business.

The Prime Minister said the reduced scale had been decided upon on account of the large; number of deputations he had received and numerous complaints which had reached him through the Labor Department. The position last year was that 20,000 workers in the Dominion paid registry office fees totalling £3797, whilst 37,775 employers paid fees amounting to £2786. These figures showed that a great many of the latter paid no fees at all. The Act of 1907 contemplated that employers should pay two-thirds and the workers one-third of the total fees charged. Actually the employees paid last year £1000 more than] the employers. Registry oflice keepers were entitled to their fees, and if they would undertake to divide them as w/as intended by the Act, he was pre-, pared to Testoro the original scale at once.

Mr Massey stated that he intended to obtain a report from the Labor Department upon every registry office in New Zealand. He would then be able to judge which offices should Fe continued and what would be the proper scale of fees. He could see that there was something wrong somewhere, and it was his desire to remove any possible cause of injustice. * >