UNEMPLOYMENT BONUS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 306, 31 December 1935, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT BONUS

MINISTER’S STATEMENT WILL WAGES TAX BE RAISED? [ Per Pres* Association. ] WELLINGTON, Dec. 30. The Hon. H. T. Armstrong has been inundated with letters from people wondering why they have not received the Christmas bonus. Mr. Armstrong said to-day that a good deal of misunderstanding seemed to have arisen over this concession and the qualifications of those entitled to receive it. The stipulations were that a man had to be actually on relief work or sustenance at the time the bonus was decided ou, and that a man had to have been on relief for a period of thirteen weeks at some time during the year, not necessarily continuously. More than 41,000 were concerned in the distribution of the bonus. The second portion of the payment would be made as soon as possible after January 2. It was probable that the sum involved in the pay-out would exceed £lOO,OOO. Asked whether the emergency unemplovment charge of 8d in the pound would be increased, Mr. Armstrong said he had not discussed matter with colleagues but agreed that something would have to be done to find the finance, explaining that Cabinet Jiad authority by Order in Council to increase this charge to a shilling in the £ if desired. Mr. Armstrong, discussing the Labi our laws said that one of the first things to be done in the New Year was to give the right to make appeals to the Arbitration Court. He was going to give either side to a dispute this right, thus bringing the Act back to its original form. He thought that it might be necessary to increase the number of conciliation commissioners. Regarding apprentices, the Minister said that the number had declined from more than JO,OOO in 1930 to about 3000. “The position is alarming,” he said, “the industries in this country are going to be compelled to train a responsible proportion of apprentices, both boys and girls, and employ them under reasonable conditions and wages. ’ ’