UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3827, 30 October 1936, Page 7

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

PAYMENTS LAST YEAR TOTAL £4,882,852. A memorandum prepared by the Minister oi Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, on behalf of the late Unemployment Board, was presented by the Minister in the House of Representatives a few days ago. With the passing oi the Employment Promotion Act in May last the board went out of existence as a statutory body. The Minister indicated that his report to Parliament next year dealing with the activities of the employment division of the Department of Labour would comprehensively survey the measures adopted by the Government for the promotion of employment and the relief of distress caused through inability to secure work. The memorandum shows that there was cash in the unemployment fund amounting to £1,332,946 at the beginning of the year ended March 31, 1936, and with the levy (£416,335), w’ages tax (£2,468,019), tax on income other than salary or wages (£1,035,672), and income from mis cellaneous sources (£36,591) the income of the fund for the year amounted to £5,289,563. Payments from the fund totalled £4,882,852, leaving a cash balance at March 31st last of £406,711. Exemptions from the payment of the levy, including Maoris, old age pensioners, other aged males with small means, and persons suffering from permanent physical and mental incapacity, totalled 40,471. Partial exemptions from the levy due last February totalled 5811. Those granted partial exemption included inmates of mental hospitals, hospitals, charitable institutions, prisoners and students.