THE LIVING WAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 88, 15 April 1925, Page 5

THE LIVING WAGE.

REALITY AND IDEALISM. A NATIONAL COMMISSION. i '. LONDON. April 14. • When the delegates to the conference iof the independent Labour party re- : assembled to-day they nasseel a resolution in favour of a National Commis- . sion to determine what is a living wage i based on the needs of civilised existence. . I Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald said at a later • stage that if a bill on these lines were i introduced in the House of Commons it . would not last half an hour. I Replying to his critics the Labour . leader said it was not sufficient to express sound ideals. They must help to provide a sound method for applying ; those principles. An ex-Labour Minister, in moving the ,' rejection of the motion for the setting up of a living wage commission, said the real objective was national ownership. Dr. A. Salter. Labour M.P. for Bermondsey. said a living wage could not be paid in numerous industries. There were many thousands of superfluous men in the mines. '■If the royalty owners and mine owners were excluded." said Dr. Salter, "and rvou proceeded to nay the miners ja minimum wage of £4 a week, you . would have a deficit of between . £30.000.000 and £40,000.000 and that after j sequestering all the profits of tbe inII dustry." ; The resolution was carried by card vote. In congratulating the late Labour Government on its efforts Mr. MacDonald said it would depend on circumstances whether he would assume office again with a minority backing. He was not going to have a rope around his neck for other people to pull when they liked. ißeuter.) "