UNEMPLOYMENT FUNDS.

Southland Times, Issue 22729, 4 November 1935, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT FUNDS.

To the Editor. Sir, — I note from your report of Mr Hargest’s speech in your issue of Nov. Ist., that his heart and those of the National Government generally, bleed, for those unfortunate victims of our imbecile social order; the unemployed. We, of course, understand that they would do a great deal more for us but they haven’t got the necessary cash, that is unless you happen to be in a big way like the Prudential Assurance Coy., and have assets running into hundreds of millions of pounds and then they would grant you £16,000 to help erect new offices. But when the unemployed ask for an increase of 10/- in their slave’s wage, they are met with the answer that it would cost another £1,300,000 and would mean an increase in the wages tax to 1/3 per £ so says Mr Hargest. We haven’t got enough revenue from the unemployment tax to provide the unemployed with the elementary needs of life so we will reduce the tax from lOd to 8d in the £ says this collection of humanitarians who compose the National Government, their hearts still bleeding for us meanwhile. If Mr Hargest and his friends the National Government had wanted to give the unemployed the extra 10/asked for it could have been done without recourse to further taxation as a perusal of the Unemployment Board’s report would show that there is a surplus of £1,500,000 on the year’s work-

ing and according to Mr Hargests figures it would need £1,300,000 to grant the unemployed the extra 10/which would still leave a surplus in the Unemployment Board’s funds of £200,000, part of which could be used to give Mr Bromley a bonus, as no doubt he has a trying time endeavouring to exist on £l3 per week plus travelling and hotel expenses.—l am, etc., M.O’R.

[The grant to the Prudential Company helped to provide work at standard rates. Against the Unemployment Board’s surplus are certain commitments which cut down the amount by a considerable sum.—Ed. S.T.]