UNEMPLOYMENT BILL UNDER FIRE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4500, 4 September 1930, Page 4

UNEMPLOYMENT BILL UNDER FIRE.

LABOUR AMENDMENTS DEFEATED. In the House last- night the Unemployment Bill was’again discussed. There was further delay on clause (i, which related to the levy of 30/- on all males over the age of 20, although Labour’s demands lor a graduated scale bad been disposed of by the division of the previous evening. The inclusion of women again eTopped up last evening, and several amendments were moved on the point, but they were i tiled out of order by the Chairman of Committees, Air. W. A. Bodkin, on the ground that they involved extra taxation. The ruling of Air. Speaker was sought on one and he upheld the Chairman’s ruling, following which the clause was passed unaltered.

Two days had been spent on one clause. The next clause relating to exemptions occupied the attention of the House for some time and an amendment by the Minister of Labour, Hon. S. G. Smith, who has charge of the Bill to the effect that it should he optional for Maoris to join the scheme, was agreed to. On his suggestion any person receiving a pension will also be exempted from the levy, but an amendment by Air. \A T . E. Parry, the Labour member for Auckland Central, that ■.arsons not in receipt of a salary or wages for a year prior to the due date should also be exempt, was defeated. There are still several other contentious features of lire Bill to be dealt with and it is likely that the measure will take several days to pass through all stages.