CARPENTERS' WAGES

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 242, 11 October 1902, Page 6

CARPENTERS' WAGES

THE WELLINGTON AGITATION.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this clay,

The briskness of the building- trade is doubtless the reason for the agitation by the carpenters for an, increase of wages to 1/G per hour, but the employers do not take kindly to the proposal. The largest meeting of employers in the building- trade ever held in Wellington was held on Thursday night for the purpose of receiving a deputation from the meeting of carpenters at which it was decided to ask for an increase. Prior to receiving- the deputation the employers severally ventilated their opinions pretty freely. One speaker asserted that there were carpenters and carpenters, some being worth 1/6 an hour, whilst others were dear at 1/ per hour. He was positive that the employers were not getting so much _!or their money as they did some years ago. The secretary of the Master Builders' Association said if the rate was increased to 1/6 an hour those employers who had entered into contracts believing there would be no alteration in the j.resent rates would be seriously handicapped. He believed that carpenters were being better paid in Wellington than elsewhere in the colony. The statement was made by another employer that in plenty of cases in Wellington men were being- paid more than the minimum wage fixed by the court, and in support of this a representative of a leading firm said that several of his men were paid more than '/./_ per hour because they deserved it. When the deputation of employees entered the room the secretary of the Carpenters' and Joiners' Society took up the role of spokesman. He affirmed that in other trades better wages were being paid, and as carpenters were skilled artisans their wages should be raised to the level of those received by bricklayers and plasterers. Even the labourers employed bjl- the Union Steamship Company were paid £3 a week. The cost of living in Wellington had greatly increased and at the present wages many men found it difficult to make both ends meet. He had lived in all parts of the colony and had. found that Wellington was the most expensive place for a working man to live in. Asked whether the men would object to a classification of hands, a man to be paid according- to his ability, he replied that in his opinion and that of some of his colleagues there should be a Hassification scheme. He admitted that some men were worth more than others in particular branches of the trade, and he favoured the settiug up of a board to fix wages so

that men should be paid according to their worth. After the deputation had left the room an employer stated that his firm had increased the wages to 12/ a day in order to prevent men being taken by other employers. There was competition amongst the employers for good men, some^of whom had been "kidnapped," to use a strong expression, by the promise of higher pay. A master bricklayer and plasterer considered that the carpenters were underpaid. After further discussion the following resolutions were 1 adopted: "That as the whole matter of the carpenters' award is before the court it be allowed to run its course ; "That the Carpenters' and Joiners' Society be informed that the employers are willin* to discuss with it the question of a classification scheme"; and "That the existing arbitration award be adhered to until next sitting of the court."