UNEMPLOYMENT TAX

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 182, 3 July 1937, Page 11

UNEMPLOYMENT TAX

MINISTER’S STATEMENT. PLACEMENT SCHEME. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 2. Until measures for permanent rehabilitation now being formulated by tile Government have been brought to fruition and details of the national superannuation scheme in relation to unemployment insurance have been finalised, no statement can be made concerning unemployment, according to the aoting-Minister of Labour (,Hon. P. C. Webb) in a letter to to-day’s meeting of the executive of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand. “Regarding your inquiry whether registrations under the State placement scheme were included in the published figures of the unemployed,” said the Minister, “it would seem that your organisation is under the impression that the State placement service concerns itself only with registered unemployed, but this is not the case although, incidentally, all registered unemployed must enrol with the placement service. The total enrolments at the various placement offices cannot therefore be accepted as a criterion that, all men enrolled are unemployed, as in many cases a person in employment which perhaps may not be congenial, takes advantage of the services rendered by the placement service in tho hope that lie may bo referred to a more suitable position or possibly, a placement may be arranged in his original trade which, possibly as the result of economic conditions obtaining over the past few years, lie has been compelled to relinquish. “In regard to the second question raised by you, the possibility of a reduction in the unemployment taxation, the financial position of the Employment Promotion Fund is constantly under review and care has been taken to ensure that the funds available have been utilised for the purposes outlined in the Employment Promotion Act and the expenditure kept reasonably within the revenue. Until the measures lor permanent rehabilitation now being formulated by the Government can be brought to fruition and the details of the national superannuation scheme in relation to unemployment insurance have been finalised, it would bo premature for me to make any statement concerning unemployment taxation at this juncture. “I feel sure your association will appreciate that the question is one affecting finance in general, and as such will no doubt be comprehensively dealt with by my colleague, the Hon. Minister of Finance, when presenting the Budget during the forthcoming session.” The meeting agreed that in view of the serious inroads being made into the unemployment fund by sustenance frauds, the Government be urged to lay charges for indictable offences in respect of such frauds. This was in line with an opinion expressed from the Bench by a northern Magistrate dealing with cases of sustenance frauds.