THE UNEMPLOYMENT BURDEN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 50, 21 October 1931, Page 2

THE UNEMPLOYMENT BURDEN

+ ^n^m^tion that during the coming month of Novemhuri™ ? called apon to make yet another contritwn^ri +Unfmpl°yment funcls h? the of the ll f ? iUe upon two third3 of their last year's income n™ iS a fai1 pamful reminder of the extent to which imemployment taxation is super-imposing itself upon the gentnfnV^F0-! placed1apon people. This burden. would be more olerable lf the public which is carrying it could see some elleviation of tne conditions as a result of their sacrifices, or, in the vernaeukr, could see "something for their money." But while td0?e members of the wage and salary earning class stiU emaimng m employment, are contributing more than four times tne amount which was being asked from them at this time last year, tne conditions which are being imposed upon the unem°u6ji haJe ^e^eri°r^ted rather than become ameliorated. Admittedly, from the spasmodic and altogether unsatisfactory statements of the position which have been issued by the UnemP yment Board, the registrations have increased to an extent never anticipated when the Board came into being. But this increase has not been four-fold, as the payments demanded from ihe earning public have been. The general public, and perhaps to G3nn ?1®a^er a large number of the politicians, are proloundly m the dark as to the'actual extent of the Board's income and the directions in which it is expended. There can be no question that with the drastic impositions it has inflicted upon the taxpaymg public, the Board's income has tremendouslv incrpnspd

and until some definite case to the contrary is proved, it cerappfar® as though the increase in taxation has been altoop ppp *° 0 Pf°Portion to the results achieved. Conceding a 1,1)00 increase in the registrations since the corresponding month of last year, the extent to which the Board has increased lts taxation should more than have countered the difference. instead of this, however, we find in Rotorua and all over the country , the Board's weekly allocations being steadily whittled clown, and the wages of the men still retained on relief work eing further reduced. Last year both single and married men weie for a period being paid 14s a day on relief work but to-day m .Rotorua, we are faced with the position that single men cann +^V^n £Pven employment, and have been thrown entirely on their own resources, while married men have been cut down Sn.- i5 i a day wit.h a. maximum of four days' work a week. Lnis deplorable position is not peculiar to this district, but applies 0U^/he country. It is not sufficient as an explanation oi the position, for the Unemployment Board to plead the inciease m registrations. _ Admittedly that must to a large extent account for the absorption of the extra revenue, but in addition to that, some further explanation seems to be called for. So far tne Board, and the Government for which it is really the mouthpiece, have been very sparing in the publication of details of the iture. It has been prolix in issuing bulletins regarding lts dimculties and its manful struggles to surmount them, but it has not so far given any statement which can satisfactorily ; reconcile the fact that the Board has drastically reduced relief wages and equally drastically increased its taxation, but has not succeeded m making any noticeable impression upon the position.