UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1930, Page 11

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

HOUSE DISCUSSES BILL REPORT FROM COMMITTEE SUSTENANCE FOR WOMEN By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. When the House of Representatives resumed this evening the Prime Minister suggested that the House should deal during the evening with the report from the Unemployment Committee. The House had had a number,-of late sessions recently and he thought thay might have a preliminary discussion on tlie report and adjourn at 10 o’clock.

Mr/ Coates contended.that the Prime Minister’s proposals seemed to him somewhat like rash, tactics. He had no objection to tlie report being tabled and the discussion. held over till later. His side of the House , was. only too willing to' join in and . pass legislation -which’ would be a credit to the country, but he did suggest the discussion on the- report be postponed to allow 1 members to consider the matter. Mr. Forbes stated the alterations made by the committee were comparatively minor ones and he thought he -discussion could be concluded by ten o’clock. If this were done they could reserve Thursday for the Land and Income Tax Bill. Subsequently the House agreed to the Prime Minister’s suggestion, the report was laid on the table and the House proceeded with the discussion.

Mr; M. J. Savage stated the report was practically the same as when it left the House and he would take, no re-; sponsibility for. it. • - • - Mr. R. A. Wright said the report was most disappointing. He considered if the Unemployment Bill were passed it would encourage unemployed from all over the world to come to' the Dominion for the benefit of the subsidy.

The Hon. S. G. Smith, Minister of Labour, said the Soldiers’ Rehabilitation Commission’s recommendations could not be carried out under, the machinery of the Unemployment Bill. There were three main features of the' Bill —a llat tax of 30s on .males over the age of 20 years, the personnel of* the board, and the payment of sustenance.

OBJECTS OF THE BOARD.

• The object of the board, said the Minister, would be' to co-operate with all Government departments to find work for the unemployed. With regard to the personnel of the board he did not wish to see that body split’ into different sections, each fighting for supremacy. He wanted a board which would work together, and it if it would do so he believed a great deal could be done with the unemployment problem within six months.

Referring to the subject of non-pay-ment of sustenance to females, the' Minister said the Government had given the matter very considerable consideration. ’The Government, however, had come to the conclusion that the amount of unemployment among women was not so acute as to warrant the payment of sustenance, but. even though no sustenance would be paid to women the board’s duty would be to find work for all needing it,-including women.

Mr. A. W- <=aid that sustenance was put down as one of the main functions of the Bill, but he did not thinx that was right. The 30s levy was not a good measure, and he thought measures which had been passed would bring in sufficient revenue without that levy. It was regrettable that the Government was endeavouring to put its responsibilities on to the committee. Air. W. J. Polson considered the allocation of taxation under the Bill would be satisfactory to taxpayers when its provisions were made clear to them. There had been some misunderstanding concerning the flat rate of payment, the worker paying 30s as well as the employer. It must be remembered, however, that the employer was paying more through the Consolidated Fund and increased taxation. Moreover, the employer did not derive any benefit from the Bill. It was one giving principal benefit to the worker.

LABOUR BARTY’S’ VIEWS.

1 Mi'. E. J. Howard stressed the fact that the discussion liad wandered away from the committee <3 report to the Unemployment Bill. He thought the House would have asked the committee why amendments had been made and what would be the effect of them. Concerning the work of the commitee itself, on°many occasions there was a division between the two Labour members and the other members of the committee. The Labour Party was decidedly not satisfied with the Bill, and he hoped in the committee stage it would be able to make suggestions which would meet with the approval of the other parties in the House and thus be able to produce a Bill which would meet with general approval. The Prime Minister impressed on members the serious nature of the unemployment problem. The problem itself was an unsatisfactory one and the methods brought down to deal with it must necessarily be of an unsatisfactory nature. The question of sustenance, said Mr, Forbes, had to be faced. If they could not find work for a man, he said, they could not let him starve. In setting up the board it was the intention that, that body should provide work for the men with whom it had to deal. It would be a poor compliment to the House if such a Bill as the Unemployment Bill could go through without improvement, and he felt sure that when the committee stage was reached improvements would be made. Referring to the 30s levy, Mr. Foroes said until this measure could be seen in operation they could not _ say it it would be satisfactory, but it was certainly worth a trial. He thought the suggestion that*. payment of sustenance would attract unemployed to the Dominion from other countries could be met by a clause in the Bill specifying that any' individual should have resided in the country a certain time before sustenance became available toi him To ensure the immediate working ’of the Bill as soon as it had been passed by the House a clause would be brought down by Governor-Generals message providing for the appropriation of £lOO,OOO. Mr. C. Carr expressed pleasure at tne committee’s recommendation that special provision should >•' deal with the rehabilitation, 'of men.

Mr. W. D. Lysnar contended that arbitration awards aggravated the unemployment position. A great deal of unemployment could v be avoided if loans were given farmers at a reasonable rate of interest,. enabling them to carry out work which they . were unable to finance at present. Mr. Walter Nash fi aid an entirely independent board should deal with the rehabilitation of re turned...soldiers. Mr. G. C. Munns that ' the committee had dealt - Ayitlr'vthe .matter on very broad lines a;n'd.'had done the best they could in th<£circumstances. He urged that every section of , the community should combine , io. assist in solving the unemployment problem. He dealt with the measures'; set, put in the Bill and said that the/dnclrision of females and youths wpuld.be too great a burden on the funds.He was not satisfied with the flat rate levy and he was in favour of a residential clause to prevent outsiders flocking into the country with a view of profiting by the provisions of the measure. The amendments the committee had made were to exclude co-opted experts from becoming members of the unemployment board and providing for maximum fines of £10& and £2O respectively for offences under the Bill. The Bill was set down for committal. ' " ” “ '