THE UNEMPLOYED

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 31, 5 August 1936, Page 6

THE UNEMPLOYED

GOVERNMENT'S AIM

FTJLL-TIME JOBS

FUNDS SUFFICIENT

In spitoyof heavy demands made upon the Unemployment Fund, the Minister estimated that the amount expected to be available this year £4,616,711—w0u1d be sufficient to meet requirements. He outlined steps which .the Government was taking to deal with the unemployment problem, and stressed the desire for the Government to provide full-time work.

The Minister said that' progress towards full employment must be made through the extension of our secondary industries and development of new industries and services. To that end the Minister of Industries and Commerce had set up a Bureau of Industry to investigate and develop new industries, and provision for financial assistance for that purpose had already been made. In the interim period the' first essential was to remove the immediate distress prevailing throughout the Dominion,, and shortly after assumption of office £270,000 was distributed to the unemployed to enable them to enjoy some pleasure during the Christmas period. Two months later, on March 2, all relief rates were reviewed, the unemployed ih .the provincial towns being placed on the same basis as those in the cities. * On June 1, after a comprehensive review of conditions and finances, it was decided to increase all rates of pay,' the increases varying from 4s per week in the^ case of single men up to, 19s 6d per week for married^ men with large families. .The sustenance rates were also increased by from 3s to 13s per week. Conditions were improved and income scales raised. The increased as compared with last year involved £800,000. Those were inevitably temporary measures. SUSTAINED EFFORT. "The difficulties' of the task are recognised, but on its successful acHievement depends the health and happiness of our people,"- said! Mr.' Nash. "It is realised that the reorganisation of the industrial activities- of- the whole community and the obtaining of a proper -balance between industries are matters requiring sustained effort. "Everyone must recognise • that under any rational - economic order every person willing to work is entitled to the things necessary :for a .reasonable standard of living. If ■ science, power,-and the machine displace human labour, then, social economic and financial procedure must-be adusted to the new conditions.." *r'- '-'r' v " '■• ~ , "While engaged in these' plans, the Government is_ promoting as' touch full-time- employment. as possible. One of the means adopted to this end is the acceleration of a sound Public Works policy under > which .a large number of men are" engaged' in creating assets of national benefit., Local bodies, also, recognise their responsibilities to the people within their areas and generally, with the aid of subsidies from the Employment Fund, are making efforts to assist the Government by expanding their programmes of work. FULL-TIME WORK. "The resources of the fund are also being used to promote full-time work in other directions. One such avenue is the gold-prospecting schemes which have provided considerable 'employment, and in some districts particularly the results obtained have been distinctly encouraging.'1 The policy in this connection is now being directed more towards the organisation of large parties to explore thoroughly areas for god-bearing reefs with a view to the opening up of new fields and the •restoration of the industry on a more permanent basis.

"A general activity of the Labour Department that has proved very successful in obtaining full-time work for unemployed is what is known as the placement scheme. In the past the Department has operated small labour exchanges, but recently these activities have been entirely reorganised. and plans drawn up to cover fully the employment field. During the ten weeks of effective life of the new plan, no less than 1462 men have been placed in permanent employment and 1185 in temporary positions.

"Concerning the finances of the En* ployment Fund: reference to the Public Accounts will show that the total amount •, available last financial year was £5,289,563 made up of: Balance carried forward, £1,332,916; revenue from taxation, £3,920,026; interest and other miscellaneous receipts, £36,591. "Of the revenue of £3,920,026, the sum of £416,335 was received from the general unemployment levy,' £2,466,019 was received from the wages tax, and £1,035,672 from the special charge on other income. Allowing for the reduction in the tax to 8d in the £1 for the second half of the year, the revenue proved to be buoyant arid well up'to expectations. In fact, the actual collections of wages-tax indicate that the aggregate amount of wages and salaries paid in the 'Dominion during the year was increased by at least £5,000,000. "Disbursements from the fund- for last year totalled £4,882,852, made up as follows: — £ Relief payments under various schemes ........................ 3,464,154 F.ood, clothing, and other necessities 98,445 Stistonanee payments 807,005 Sundry loans and grants 145,761 Christmas bonus. and other miscellaneous payments 168,603 Administration expenses 200,344 £4,882,852 "The year closed with a credit balance of £406,711 in the fund, against which there were considerable commitments. "For (lie current financial year it is estimated, on the present, bash of taxation, that the revenue will amount to £4,210,000, and this, with the balance

carried forward, will provide a total t £4,616,711. With the acceleration of full-time employment at standard rates of pay by the Government, local bodies, and in industry' generally, It la now estimated that this sum will be smnV clent to meet the estimated* exenditure for work-relief, •ustenanec, and other charges on the Employment Promotion Fund. At one stage it appeared likely that there would be a temporary shortage in the Employment Fund, an* Drovision was made, in the Imprest Supply Act to transfer up to £3M,MS from the Consolidated Fund. Aa it turned out it was not necessary to make «• '

of this provision.