TOO DRASTIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 257, 30 October 1929, Page 7

TOO DRASTIC.

NEW BASIC WAGE. N.S.W. Government Will Not Gazette Scheme. CHILD ENDOWMENT TO GO. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) SYDNEY, October 29. The Premier of New South Wales, Mr. T. R. Bavin, announced in the Legislative Assembly to-day that the Government would not gazette the new basic wage of £3 12/6 a week recommended by the Industrial Commission, on the ground that serious economic consequences were likely to arise from so drastic a reduction in the living wage.

At the same time the Government felt that the decision of the commission was perfectly logical, having regard to the fact that the basic wage was intended to apply only to a man and wife without children. The question of providing for children came within the scope of the Child Endowment Act, which the Government had decided it was impossible to continue in its present form. This announcement caused uproar among Labour members. Proceeding, Mr. Bavin said that the Government had come to the conclusion that it was useless in all the circumstances to continue the system of child endowment. It proposed, therefore, to abolish it and to confer with the Commonwealth Government on the subject.

Also tlie Government proposed to suspend the operation of the new basic wage and direct the Industrial Commission to lix a basic wage for a new unit consisting of a man and wife with an average number of children.