TAXES FOR RELIEF.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 456, 18 May 1932, Page 4

TAXES FOR RELIEF.

How Much More Could the Public Stand? FINANCES OF THE BOARD. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 18. The weekly income of the Unemployment Board is £72,000, and 58,475 persons have to receive relief. A statement by the deputy-chairman of the board (Mr J. S. Jessep) says:— “The question continually asked is, What is a fair thing to pay the relief worker in the way of wages? But it is also an important question: How much more in the way of taxation could the public stand without precipitating absolute ruin? We can only distribute the amount in the most equitable fashion, and at the same time in such a way as to ensure that some proportion of it can come back again to the country in the way of increased production. “A very erroneous impression has gained wide credence with the public that the increase in wages tax from 3d to Is in the £1 means that the board’s income has been quadrupled. That suggestion is very wide of the mark. The estimate for this year is that the total income of the board will not exceed from £3,500,000 to £3,750,000. “If the full amount of the estimate i% realised it means a weekly income to the board of £72,000. The total number of unemployed registered, plus those who are receiving assistance from the board, but have been taken from the registrar, totals 58,475. Of this number 48,601 were dependent for relief upon scheme No. 5. The commitments outside this scheme are estimated to cost the board in a full year £1,000,000. That leaves only an income of £52,770 per week for the purpose of carrying on Scheme No. sat present figures. One has only to compare these two figures, £52,000 and 48,000 unemployed to realise the difficulties that the board has to overcome.”