WAR ON UNEMPLOYMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1026, 17 July 1930, Page 12

WAR ON UNEMPLOYMENT

GOVERNMENT OPENS OFFENSIVE “THIRTY-SHILLINGS-A-YEAR BILL" READ THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Wednesday. THE Unemployment Bill, one of the Government’s biggest measures of the session, made its appearance in the House of Representatives this evening by Governor-Gen-eral’s message shortly after 10 o’clock, following on the close of the Address-in-Reply debate. The Bill is fathered by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. S. G. Smith, and provides for an annual levy of 30s on every male member of the community of 20 years and upward which will be subsidised £ for £ on expenditure. An Unemployment Board will be set up which will pay a sustenance fund to the workless and will undertake the rehabilitation of disabled returned soldiers first of all.

The Bill provides, tor the setting up lie an unemployment l'und which will be formed by a levy on the males of New Zealand and by a subsidy from the Government of 50 per cent, on expenditure out of the fund. Moneys will be payable on the recommendation of the unemployment board to be set up. A levy of 30s a year as "a contribution toward the prevention and relief of unemployment” will be made j on every male in New Zealand ot 20 j years and upward, and the levy is j payable in quarterly instalments, due I on March 1, June 1, September 1, and j December 1 in each year, the first in- j stalment being due on December 1,1330. In the case of a person attaining the j age of 20 in March, June, September • or December the first instalment of! the levy is due on the first day of ; that month, and in other cases on the first day of the month concerned after ! the birthday. Failure to pay the levy after one month from due date means a line of £5 and a penalty of sixpence for every month or part of a month after payment is due. SPECIAL EXEMPTIONS Provision is made for the exemption of totally-disabled returned soldiers, oid age pensioners, every native within the meaning of the Native Land Act, 1909, unless such native is living as a European, inmates of hospitals or mental hospitals, charitable institutions, prisons, reformatories or Borstal institutions, and any person who, on the due date of any instalment, is enrolled as a student of any university college, technical school, secondary school, or other education institution, and who is not in' receipt of a salary or wages. Provision is made for the exemption of special cases by Order-in-Council. Tho levy may be paid in cash at a post office or by means of revenue sftmps cancelled in the prescribed manner. All male residents of New Zealand of 20 years and over are required to register at a post office and the penalty for failure to register Is a fine of not less than £IOO. Under the BUI it is. proposed to set I up an unemployment board to consist | of the Minister of Labour as chair- ; man, two members appointed on the I recommendation of the Minister, one !of whom shall bo deputy-chairman, one employers' representative from j the agricultural industries, one em- ! ployers’ representative from the manufacturing industries, two representa- | tives of the workers’ organisations, | and one member representative of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association. The board is to be appointed for two years, and its main functions will be to make arrangements with employers or prospective employers for the employment of persons out of work, to take such j steps as It considers necessary to proI mote the growth of agricultural and ' manufacturing industries In New ZeaJ land so that the number of workers I required will be increased, and to make recommendations as to the payment I of sustenance allow-ances. POWERS OF BOARD The board will have authority to establish labour exchanges, or to cooperate In the management of the labour exchanges established by the Labour Department or otherwise, to take steps to co-ordinate the activities in the relief of unemployment of departments of State, local authorities, public bodies, and other persons and authorities engaged in public works; to assist unskilled or other workers by means of grants or loans to pursue courses of vocational training or study, and to provide instructors to establish and equip classes or training camps, and to do any other things to qualify such workers to undertake suitable employment; to make grants or loans to any persons or authorities to enable them to undertake developmental works calculated to relieve unemployment; to make inquiries, as it thinks fit, into any industry carried on or proposed to be carried on in New Zealand, or to any industry which in the opinion of the board, under favourable conditions, could be profitably carried on in New Zealand, or to any industry which the board might think fit might affect the industries of New Zealand, or the workers employed therein, and to appoint any number of local committees it thinks fit on condition that service on a local committee is voluntary. Commissions of inquiry may be appointed to assist the board regarding sustenance allowances.

The Bill proposes that no sustenance allowance .be paid to any person not a contributor to the unemployment fund, and only in the period of unemployment 6 will the allowance be paid. No allowance will be paid until a person has been unemployed for at least 14 days, and no person may receive sustenance allowance for more than 13 consecutive weeks. No allowance will be paid to anyone refusing work offered, by the board. The rates of the sustenance allowance will be in respect of a contributor to the fund not more than 21s a week; in respect of a wife of a contributor or any other person who in the opinion of (he board is in charge of his home and family, 17s fid a week; and in respect of any child of a contributor, 4s a week. Offences under the Bill include employing an unregistered man, or a man in arrears with the payment of an instalment of the levy.

When the Bill was Introduced, there were many questions, but the Minister of Labour answered all succinctly and clearly. He said that the Bill did not follow the recommendations of the Unemployment Committee entirely, for under the report provision was made for a levy of ISs a year on males of 18 and 19, and 24s on males of 20 and over, and 12s on females of 18 and 19. and ISs on females of 20 •and over. Now there was no levy on females, and there would be no sustenance allowance for females'.

The levy was made irrespective o£ income. It was proposed to take a second reading of the Bill, and refer it to a special committee, which would take evidence.