ATTEMPTED ABUSE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 31, 6 February 1931, Page 17

ATTEMPTED ABUSE

NO. 2 UNEMPLOYMENT SCHEME

The Unemployment Board has, states the chairman (tho Hon. S. G. Smith), had brought under its notice a glaring case of attempted abuse of the board's No. 2 relief scheme. The essence of the scheme is that the rate of pay shall be fixed by employer and employed, the board's subsidy not to exceed 7s per day, and; the prospective employee to be registered as unemployed. "In the case under notice," said the Minister, "a farmer in Canterbury arjplied to the Local Committee for. permission to employ a man at 7s a day to grub gorse and broom and do improvements to tho farm for a period of a week to ten days. He added that he had a man in.view and knew.his capabilities. An officer of the' Labour Department made"' certain inquiries/ which revealed that the man 'in. view' not only was not unemployed, but was actually under engagement at the time the application was made. The officer further ascertained from the worker himself that he is usually employed by the farmer at 12s per day. It is perhaps unnecessary to add that the Local Committee did not authorise a subsidy. "It behoves every citizen who is interested in the relief of unemployment to be watchful, and report to the Local Committee any breaches that may come under "■observation, and thereby assist the board."