The Hutt News THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1930. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 39, 6 March 1930, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1930. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.

Ten-.,ugh out the Dominion, during the (past few 'lays, there has boen much , comment and a 'good deal of favourable j •criticism on the" report submitted by i the' . special committee dealing with 4' unemployment.' ' A careful study of the report will convince- most' people that, whetiher thc'jhulinga of the Conianittee are as conclusive as they.might , be, there is ample evidence to shoV that this big problem'of miqmploymeut has received t-he fullest consideration by an able body of men. The cost to the State and to Local Bodies in an attempt to deal with this-blight on our civilization has grown to sucih dimensions that a 'halt must be cailcd, and the Committee,- recognising that this. question is the concern of everyone, has found that a special -.-method. of raising money for this pui^pose alone aiust be put into operation. T«his involves a direct payment by all Avorkers over the age of eighteen yoars/ the sura being 18/- per aivmiin: for those between eighteen and nineteen years of age, and 24/- per annum for all over twenty years of ago. Furfchdr a flat lax of one penny in the pound on all incomes exceeding ■£300 •per annum will be imposed/ one penny in the. ■pound un untlistriib'utod- company, profits, and on dividends from registered companies where shares are held by absentees. There are other channels from whieth additional revemic Will be obtaijied, including One form of a land ta;t and a direct :l«vy on cities, borough*, .and counties,' These various sources of supply of revenue are going rto .-"Hit hundreds of people twice over (a) directly through their wagesr or income and (b) indirectly as ratepayers to. the ■contributing local body.. Summed up i'he finding of the .committee is revenii* .and then more revenue, but there is • this' to say in favour of the suggestion: they hit everyone, even the small wage j earner who can least afford it. ;4 pwmanent Board is to bo set \xp but no indication is given as't'o whetAier vthia •will be an honorary board or one whose members will be paid, or if paid, wherd the money for such, pmrpose is to X come from. Whetiher the .Board be .honorary or paid is much less important, than the question as to who will control' such Board. We say emphatically, t&at the Board must be fully entrusted witih the allocation ami spending of the money raised and must be entirely outhide political control. An excellent point is raised in the Committee's re-_ port when it touches on tiie housing of tho workers in decent homes and on sections sutiiciently large to permit oft .gardening— .such a? vegetable growing for profit—to. be carried on particularly at slack periods. ;The idea, good, but such ureas must be within easy distance of a stable market, and the «aipital cost (land, and bouse) mmst be low enough to ensure that the interest on purchase price, rates, etc., will not exceed a moderate rental. What many •persons feared, viz., the "dole"' has been skilfully dealth with. All will adjnit f-hat every man has the fight to work and to fair payment for. that ■work when done, lieuce if the community or Sta.tc cannot provide work to the man willing to do "it, then it is clearly tho State's duty to see that such, an one iia.s tho wherc-with-aM to live until •work can be provided. If this-pay-ment be such as to act as a tempetation to the recipient to live on it rather than seek work, the effect is pernicious and lowers theriioral fibre of hini who teo uso.s it. In t-he -present case, this possible evil has been avoided as the amount payable to any for whom work <sannot bo found, is very limited in amount, and also as to the duration of its payment. Taking the report. as a whole it is an able one and it now remains for the Government to put the uecessary machinery,in motion^ to give -effect to tie Committee's findings.