RELIEF WAGES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 370, 3 November 1932, Page 5

RELIEF WAGES

("Post" Special Commissioner).

another reduction tax must increase IF prrsent measures continue ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED

Wellington, Wednesday. In aecordance with plain flint? given in ministerial circles, an eafly'apr noiincement "indicating a reductihn in the scale of relief payments Fhiqii operated throughout the winter, jnajf be expected. ' • ' * -tr 't'fl Owing to the abnornial conditi.ons which prevailed during the past fqpr months, the allocatiohs were suflst'aStially increased in ord"er to cope with the large number qf regisLatjpps which were a feature of the' uq'employment problem duriqg the wi'njkerl These placed such a claim ©n' the xejsourees of'the Unemployment. Funjd that at" one stage, fears were o^enly expressed that an increas'e' in ' tVi wages tax was inevitaflie. '*'rT However, hy the consefvaiion "of . the revenue available and through receipts exceeding the; esfimate] " thl Unmployment Board was* * able ' xp forecast a surplus ahd to iiidicate thp there would be no increase in ^thq wages tax. ' It had been hoped thaifc wiih tjie commencement of seasonal o,cp)ipa: tions, arid the p'ossibility of more men being absorbed in private emr ployment, that it would be* possiblp before the heginning of thve"new financial year to review the , amount J,qf the impost. The spring months haYp seen a lowering of the allocations throughout New Zealand, dup in instances, to the easing off of thq "revhuirements in particular districts'. 'It has been laid down that if the st^r bility of tlie fund is to be maintained this tapering qff policy must be pur» sued foi* the remainder of the sum--mer months. It has been stated that if the present measure of relief, remains fixed, the question ofihqrqasing the shilling in the pound tax will become one for serious consideratioti, Rumours have been current that a 50 per cent. reduction in the "relief rates of pay is contemplated, but they are without foundation, it is underwood. However, there will be reductions. , * ' *"•