ON THE DOLE

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1932, Page 5

ON THE DOLE

DOMINION PROBLEM

AN ERRONEOUS IMPRESSION

/By Telegraph — Pt. Press Association j

WELL'NGTON, May, 17

The Deputy-Chairman of the Unemployment Board, Colonel states A very erroneous impression has gained wide credence, with the public thnt•;h.* increase made in the wages tax from 3d to Is in the £1 means th.it the Board’s income had been quadrupled. That, suggestion is very, wide oi the mark .... ;

I estimate that for this year the tot;;! income of the Board will .not. exceed from £3,509,000 to £3,750,000. , it. the full amount of the estimate is realised, it means a weekly income to the Board of £72,000. The total number of unemployed registered, plus those who are receiving assistance from the Board, but have been taken from the register, totals' 58,475. Of this number 48,601 were dependent for relief upon Scheme No, 5. The commitments outside this scheme ate estimated to edst thy Board in a full vehr £1,000,000. That ieaves only an income of £52,770 per week for the purpose of carrying on Scheme No 5 at tile present figures. One has on I ,v to compare these two figures. £52,000 and 48,000 unemployed to realise tho difficulties that the Board has to overcome,

The question continually asked is: What is a' fair thing to pay a relief, worker in the way of wages? Bu* it is also an important question ; Hov much more in the way of taxation could the public stand without prec'p’ tating absolute ruin?'We can only distribute the amount in the most equitable fashion, and, at the same time, in such a way as to ensure that some proportion of it can come hack acram to the- country in the way of increased production.