PREPARING A NATIONAL SCHEME.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12259, 6 July 1909, Page 5

PREPARING A NATIONAL SCHEME.

INSURANCE AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT.

WELLINGTON, July 5. Tho Hon. J. A. Millar told a "Times" •reporter- to-night that he is preparing legislation for a national scheme of inagainst unemployment, from uhch Ikiv operated-successfully in some part-:: .;f Europe "Thoso m<M affected by unemployment <-;ni, through xhfir..i:nio!is, snWrib:;. to a liMid," oxp!aij!«l the-inns'er. "There ivm>t b^. f;ii;c- groups of the driror pMt-+r^^{R proridiiw/ insurance against nn<Mnplo.vme:..* in Um*o particular industries. I iia-vo not gone into the matter sufficiently yet to be ablo to present a <]oLuiir-:t scheme to Cabinet, which would be cfiootive to deal with New Zealand conditions, but Germany has successfully worked out the problem and so has Switzerland. I also notice that Mr Churchill, in Great Britain, proposes to bring in a Bill on similar lines. In Germany the employer, the worker, and tho State combine to contribute to tho unemployment fund, and the workers liavo the biggest check upon ijbs expenditure because they contribute "the largest portion of the money. They are consequently careful that no benefit goes to the undeserving. I will'try to adapt from the::© examples a scheme suited to tho Dominion, and I hope to have the measure ready by the coming session," said the Minister. "The great trouble one has to deal with in this matter is what might- be deemed the purely casual labourer, working a few hours at a time, possibly on a ship today and on a house- to-niorrow. There are also the occupations such as sheep "shearing, which only last a few months in the year. We might well make an experiment with trades where the employment is of a more permanent character.than the ordinary casual labourer, and the experience thus gained migh^ show us how we could extend the scheme. T have worked out one method by which the workers would pay (id per week, the employers a similar amount, and the State about onethird of these contributions. This would givo a fund of. between £60,000 ,and £70,000 during the first year.'' .