UNEMPLOYED RELIEF.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18394, 30 July 1931, Page 2

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF.

LEVY PAYMENTS. EXEMPTION QUESTION. MINISTER’S EXPLANATION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. In reply to a question in the House of Representatives to-day, the lion. S. G. Smith, Minister of Labour, said exemptions from the payment of the unemployment levy under the 1980 Act would hold good also in respect of the Act of this year. In regard to the emergency charge, there would he no exemption other than in the ease of wages received by a woman or girl in private domestic service and of wages received on relief works undertaken by a local authority or public body, when the whole amount of such wages was refunded to the local authority or public body from the Unemployment Fund. The only persons exempted from the emergency charge on incomes were women whose incomes did not amount to £250 a year. Mr Smith said only contributors oould be considered for employment on relief schemes, but if the board's finances improved, the question of lifting some of the present restrictions would be considered. LEVY NOT PAID. CHARGE DISMISSED AS TRIVIAL. (By Telegrapn.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. Two charges of failure to pay instalments of the unemployment levy within the specified • time, brought, against C. P. Agar, a well-known city business man, were dismissed to-day by the magistrate, Mr 11. P. Lawr.v, as being trivial. Counsel said that defendant had always tried to help the department and the very circumstances of this case were occasioned materially by his desire to assist the chief postmaster. He had instructed his secre- . tary to send in full registration and levies for all members of .the Arm. but the secretary had omitted to pay Agar's levy along witli the rest. CANTEEN FUNDS. GRANT MADE BY BOARD. WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A special, meeting of the Canteen and Regimental Funds Trust Board was held to-day to consider a request from Hie annual conference- of Hie New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association that the board should vote a further £IO,OOO forthwith for the relief of unemployment. v The following resolution was carried unanimously:—“That, while -the Canteen Board is gravely concerned over the current distress caused by unemployment among returned soldiers, It Is prepared, in addition to the £23,300 which it has already contributed for such relief, including £7IOO already vo-ted this calendar year, to vote further relief to the extent of a sum not exceeding £IOOO a month as from September 1,193 J, for an indeterminate period; that the sum be fixed each month at a conference between 'the hoard's standing sub-com-mittee and the standing sub-commit-tee of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association.,'and distributed through the latter body."