SUSTENANCE ABUSES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 11, 28 January 1937, Page 6

SUSTENANCE ABUSES

•Preea Association.)

Offences Caused Mostly by Ignorance CLOSE CHECK KEPT . .

By Telecraph—

WELLINGTON, Last Night. • . ' ' There is no suggestion of widespread abuse of. the sustenance system by mnemployed persons or mbn partially employed, althOugh. instances of deliberate' fraiid • or .'wrongfui receipt ' of relief pay through - ignorance* are' frequently detected in various'parts of the country,'* stated the • Labour Departraeht' to-day .in response to- inquiries to determine to what extent tho sustenance ; system is boing defrauded. The Department sajd that, apart from , the recent New Plymouth case, where 20 out Of 30 casual workers employed unloading. a ship were f ound guilty of making a false declaration of their earning, there had been only one instance where concerted action had been taken to defraud the Department. This occurred in the South Island a few months ago and 12 men, all working for the same employer, were prosecuted and convicted. A close cteck was'kepf 'on the outside earnings of men in receipt of sustenance and when a , case. qHw'rongful. drawing of sustenance money was detected the Department fully investigated it and decided whether or not it was wilful. Where a case was proved wilful the degree of se.riousness was copsidered and the Department then decided whether to prosecute, under the Employmept Promotion Act or Crimes Act. . . Tte system of , checking earnings . by sustenance men was as effective - as could possibly be .de-vised. Employers were working with the Department by submitting returns. of 'Wages paid. ThPv realised' the iinportance of preventing impositions on the Employment Fund and wero co-operating in safeguarding it. ' *