RELIEF FOR UNFIT

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1932, Page 2

RELIEF FOR UNFIT

CHARGE ON HOSPITALS

THE MINISTER. AND BOARDS

(By Telegraph — L‘e,r tress Association,

WELLINGTON, May 26,

Hospital boards tiirougnout Now Zealand are vitally interested in a decision by the Unemployment Board that they will be expected to provide relief lor men ccrtiiicd an medically unfit for heavy work, and who. al'e unable to go into camps or who cttliliot carry out heavy work under tile No. 5 scheme.

There was a belief among hospital boards that when the Unemployment A mendments Act of last seesion became operative they a ould be relieved of the ourden of providing for registered unemployed, all of whom would be provided for out of the funds of tile Unemployment Board. The impression was Flint. the Unemployment Board would leave to hospital boards the care of only ordinary cases of distress caused by other reasons.than unemployment alone. It was stated officially yesterday that the Unemployment Board felt it could not'assist meii who wei'e certified as medically unfit fbr work available. If a iufiii could not do the tvcl-k Offering tbfe board’s funds would Hot permit payments being made to him. In announcing his new unemployment scheme on March 23, the Minister of Employment, lit. Hon J. G. Coates, referred particularly to the position of hospital boards as far as the. giving of relief was concerned, and it was then stated that it was proposed to remove from boards the necessity of assisting able-bodied unemployed. “It has been the practice 'for hospital boards to provide sustenance for registered unemployed, particularly in the stand-down periods,” Mr Coates said. “Waste is ca u t .ed by duplication and overlapping when the same able-bodied unemployed are assisted from public funds by the Unemployment Board and hospital boards, and possibly by other social organisations. “It is therefore proposed to remove from hospital boards the necessity for assisting. This means that any relief it may be possible to give to registered apart from wages will be given from the Unemployment Fund, while hospital boards will be respon- j sible for relief of those whose distress j is due to causes other than unemployment.

“Until such time as payment for relief is brought under one control, it is impossible to say how much unemployment' is costing the country. It will be seen from what I have eaid that hospital boards will be relieved of a considerable drain on their resources, nhd as a result of the proposed change in method and organisation, hospital aiid charitable aid boards should be able to reduce their demands for levies oil local bodies.”