UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4512, 2 October 1930, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY

7/6 DUE ON' DECEMBER 1. £IOO 'FINE FOR NON-REGISTRA-TION. The Unemployment Bill passed by the House of Representatives provides that everv male person 20 years of age and upwards shall he liable to an annual levy of 30/towards the prevention of unemployment. The levy is to be made payable in quarterly instalments, due on the first days of March, June, September and December, the first instalment being due on December 1 next. A. (contributor may, if he chooses, pay any number of instalments in advance. Anyone making a default for more than one month will be liable to a line of £5.

'Persons exempt, are those in receipt of war pensions;, of old age pensions, and all Maoris. There are other exemptions, such as those.of persons in gaol or a mental hospital. Every such person liable to contribute or otherwise, must within one month of the coming into force of the Act register with a postmaster, or other person authorised, and he will, receive a certificate of registration. Anyone failing to comply with this part of the Act will be liable to a fine of £IOO.

Opinion is very nebulous concerning the new measure, as there is great uncertainty as to how it is going to be administered. People are wondering how the post office authorities, who are to be entrusted with the difficult t.-Tsk of collecting the contributions, will accomplish their task. All sorts of difficulties are visualised, and one politician o(f experience went so far as to say that the Act would breaik. down owing to its very nature. A poll tax had always been unpopular, and he saw no reason why the average man would get over his antipathy, even when such a. problem as unemployment is at stake.