REGISTRY OFFICE FEES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1768, 5 June 1913, Page 4

REGISTRY OFFICE FEES.

"SOMETHING WRONG SOMEWHERE,' (By-Tclejraph.—Prew Association.! Auckland, June 4. Registry offico keepers in (Auckland aie much concerned over the now regulations which caiuo into forco from tho first of tho current month, under which tho scale of fees chargeable has been reduced. A deputation introduced by Mr. A. Harris, M.P., waited upon the l'rime Minister today in connection with tho matter. On behalf of the deputation, Mr. C. J. Saunders said that the new regulations had come as a surprise. Only short notice of tho alterations had been received, and in 0110 ease no notice whatever, lhe registry office keepers of Auckland felt aggrieved at this shortness of notice. It reduced foes were insisted upon it would mean that some of thfiii would lia\ e to Tho Prime Minister said the reduced scalo had been decided upon 011 account of tho large number of deputations he had himself received,! and- because of the 1111111-, erous complaints which had reached him through the Labour Department. Iho position last year was that 20,000 workers in tlio Dominion paid registry office fees totalling .£3797, whilst 37,775 employers paid fees amounting to J22V86- lhesc figures showed that a great many 01 tho latter paid no fees at all. lhe Act ot 1907 contemplated that employers should nay two-thirds and workers one-third ot tho total fees charged. Actually, emplovees paid last year ,£IOOO more than tho' employers. Registry oflice keepers were .entitled to their fees, nnd if they would undertake to divido them, as was intended bv the Act, ho was prepaieil to restore the original scale at once. Mr. Massev stated that ho intended to obtain a report from tho officers of the Labour Department upon every registry oflice 111 New Zealand. He would then be al>le to jud"o which offices .should Ijo continued and what would bo a proper scale of fees. H.i could see that there was something wrong somewhere, nnd it was his desire to remove any possible cause of injustice.