Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

UNEMPLOYMENT.

BOARD'S FIRST MEETING. EFFORTS TO PROVIDE WORK. "I anticipate that the number of registered unemployed will increase from approximately 7400, at which it stands at present, to about 10,000 as soon as the Act is in full operation," said Mr W. U. Leadley, who is the representative of ex> soldlers on the Unemployment Board, giving a reporter some information last evening about its initial meeting. "So far the Board has concerned itself with providing as much work as possible, and wo have naturally been unable to discuss many aspects of the problem which will receive attention later. "My remarks about a big increase iu the number of registrations are supported by my own experience. In every centre there are hundreds of men out of work who havo never called at the Labour Bureaux. The employment provided there is largely of tho labouring type, and tradesmen, unless they are very hard pressed, apply to their trade unions when they are out of work. - ' Mr Leadley said ho was distinctly optimistic, after the first week's work of! the Board, and he felt it would be able to accomplish real service for the Dominion. Many points of view were given expression at its meetings, but, remarkable to state, up to the present members had been able to Teach unanimity on practically all decisions of tho Board. This was attributable to the fact that all members were desirous of co-opor-ating with a view to making real progress. They had been inspired by the enthusiasm of tho Minister, the Hon. S. G. Smith, which had been apparent to all. He believed in tho Act heart and soul. Tho Hoard estimated that tho first quarter's levy would bring in about £IBO,OOO, which would enable it to repay tho £IOO,OOO advanced by tho Government.

Position of Women. Possibly the provision of work for unemployed women might come within the scope of the Board, but it could not hope to enter upon such an undertaking for a long time. Tho Act distinctly excluded them from contributing, and as the Board was concerned only with administering the existing legislation, no change could be made without a decision by Parliament. It was also distinctly specified in the Act that no man could be granted sustenance allowances unless he was a contributor to the fund. Any man who had not made payments might be given employment under a scheme of the Board, and have his first quarter's contribution deducted from his wages, but no such reduction could be made in sustenance allowances. The Board had not yet been able to give any timo to a discussion of this aspect of the problem. The conference called by the Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) for this morning would set up a local committee for administering tho Act. PAYMENT OF LEVY. INSTALMENT DUE TO-DAY. "By now we linvo got about all the unemployment registrations wo are likely to get voluntarily, said Mr F. J. Shanks, Chief Postmaster at Christchurch to a reporter of Tub Pnnsa on (Saturday. Sineo November 11th, which was officially tho last day for registration, only an odd few people have registered. Tlio first quarterly payment of the unemployment levy (7s (id) is duo today. Special accommodation is being set apart for contributors in the money order section of the Post Office, and a staff of seven officers will bo available to receive payment. Already many payments have beon made in advance of the duo date. A number of City employers have collected tho levy from their staffs and paid in tho bulk sums, for which interim receipts hare been issued. This method of collection is of great assistance and is appreciated by the Post Office officials.

lb is emphasised that tho annual payment of 30s may bo made at onco in a single sum. Contributors may also, if they please, pay in 15s or 22s 6d for two or three quarters of the year respectively. Payment of tho whole levy or tho greater part will, it is thought, be as much of a convenience to the contributor as it will be to the postal officials. War pensioners, old-age pensioners, Natives and others exempt from payment of tho levy nuisfc register in tho usual way before applying for exemption. PLEA FOR SINGLE MEN. DEPUTATION WAITS ON CR. J. W. BEANLAND. Asking that something should be clone for about 700 men of whom no immediate work was being provided, a deputation of over £!00 unemployed waited on Cr. J. W. Beanland, chairman of tho Works Coinmitteo of tho Christchurcli City Council, on Saturday morning, making also a special request on behalf of single men. The Council was already spending every penny it could afford, said Cr. Beanland, and had to be careful not to exceed its estimates. Although he realised that many single men were in a very serious position, preference must be given to married men, and all for whom employment was found would be engagejl through the Government Labour Bureau. In frcply to one of the unemployed who said that some of them had been promised work under the Christmas relief scheme by Cr. L. B. Neale, and had 1 then been told that tho Council had no - power to give them work except through tho bureau, Cr. Beanland said that the City Council had arranged to spend £2OOO on work under the Christmas scheme and he had been approached by various social workers urging the claims of particular men. He had therefore told half a dozen men to start on Monday, but had sinco learned that all men engaged Under tho Unemployment Board's grant must be engaged through the Government Labour Bureau. He had no wish to make any discriminations, but all the men whom he had promised work were in very poor circumstances. Employment of Single Men. As far an the employment of single men was concerned, Cr. Beanland said that although ho appreciated the dire straits of many of them, married men with families would be given preference on relief works. Mr H. E. Barnsley, one of the unemployed, said that ho thought it was proper that all men should be selected at the bureau. He considered that no individual should have power to gage men at the present time. Men with the largest families were given preference, said Mr E. T. Bailey, officer in charge of tho Labour Department. Unfortunately it had. been re-

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19301201.2.14

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20099, 1 December 1930, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,069

UNEMPLOYMENT. Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20099, 1 December 1930, Page 4

UNEMPLOYMENT. Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20099, 1 December 1930, Page 4

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert