NO WAGE SUBSIDY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 28, 17 February 1937, Page 14

NO WAGE SUBSIDY

— Preas AwociatioruF.

Minister's Reply to Builderr Union MAY BE CHANGED LATER

(By Toleyr*ph-

AUCKLAND, Feb. 15. "I sineerely regret to learn that, ov^j -ing to broken time, the income of soj 'many worker* has fallen below thef ibasic wage and would willxngly assist ia Jthe direction indicated in your letter ifit were advisable to do so," states tho. iMinister of Employment, Hon. H. Ti Armstrong, in replying to reeent sug^ gestions made by the Auckland BuilderS; jand General Labonrers' Union that tha :earnings of casual workers should b# .supplemented from the nnemployment fund to bring them up to the le»fli ofi ■the basio wage of £3 16s. It was pointed out to the Ministesi , jthat members of the nnion had snffereif! hardship in reeent weeki owing tOj lengthy spells of inclement weather. . "I can assure you that the matteci has received very earnest eonsideration,, and I regret it does not appear to be jpracticable to increase the present jmaximum allowable income or to vary* [provisions for the adjustment of relief jas set out in the current regulations," •added the Minister." The principal [reason for fixing a maximum before rotlief allocations are aflected is to pro* |vide a deterrent to over-ready accept*? [ance of relief assistance. If the maxijmum were appreciably raised thert Iwould be little or no encouragement for Iworkers to seek full-time employment, [and in fact, when it is remembered that (under scheme No. 5 provision is made. [for paymont for time lost on account of (sickness and of wet weather, there >would often be an actnal inducement for; men to prefer relief work schemes and [conditions. ! "It should be noted in this connectionS (that, there is no actual iimit set to aj ^worker's earnings, except provision for ja reduction in his relief allocetion wheai {his private income excee'ds a certain' fmaximum. In other words the State'si iresponsibility becoihes automaticallyj Jess as the worker's economie oppoc jtunities increase and it is surely the! jGovernment's duty to provide an incen-i Itive for men to seek and obtain privatel jempioyment. . ' • 1 1 Provision of sustenance for w&tesM jpide workers is at present being raview*) jed, and in view of the agreement re-j cently reached between the employeral land the New Zealand Federation ofj [Waterside Workers, it is quite likelyj that certain changes will be effeeted ial the near future."