WAR AND WAGES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 66, 18 March 1915, Page 8

WAR AND WAGES.

APPLICATION BY UNIONS. FOR XEW AiWAiRDS. CASE FOR EMPLOYERS. COURT DEFERS DECISION. (By Telegnaph—Press Association.) WELLiXGTOX, Wednesday. The hearing of the application made •by Mr. E. J. Carey, secretary of the Cooks and Waiters' Union, on behalf of Labour Unicns, that the Arbitration Court should Tesume the hearing of industrial disputes, "was concluded by the Arbitration Court to-day. Regarding the cost of living, Mr. Pryor contended, that by increasing wages the Court would be aggravating the position. Employers viewed the application as an attempt to obtain high wages based upon a condition of thing 3 that could not in any case obtain for any great length of time, and they aeked themselves what the attitude of the workers would be -when matters resumed their normal condition, or more serious still if matters became sub-normal. Jt had- not been shown that iXew Zealand workers -were working under less favourable conditions than in other countries. There were something like 100 disputes filed before the Court, and how was the Court to deal -with them if it decided to I resume the hearings? In most cases he .felt assured the Court would be unable to agree to further increases, but if one I or two increases were granted workers in other industries would feel aggrieved. Mr. Pryor said that he wished to refer, without in any way uttering a threat, to what "would probably be the attitude of employers if they were faced with the possibility of further burdens ■being placed upon them. At the outset of the war the Employers' Federation impressed upon employers the motto, "Business aa usual." Employers had been loyal to the federation, and shouldered the burden of increased cost ina*e*d of passing it on in full. They thought that the unions were prepared to abstain from making fresh claims, but if they felt they were to be subjected to the annoyance, trouble, and expense of contesting unions' claims a.t a time like the present, they would get down to strict :busmese lines and charge full extra costs wherever possible, employ only such workers as were necrasary, end entrench themselves as.eeonrely as possible to ■withstand any bad time that might yet come along as the result of the war. Generally epeaking, unemployment hed not yet proved a, serious problem. Small shipping companies reported a decrease of freights, and come boats had been laid up. After Mr. Carey had briefly replied the Court reserved its judgment. |