WAGE REDUCTIONS?

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 228, 26 September 1930, Page 5

WAGE REDUCTIONS?

LABOUR LEADER'S QUESTION. NO ANNOUNCEMENT YET, ''IMPORTANT POLICY MATTER." (Br Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Labour's fear of the inauguration of a wage-reduction policy by the Government was expressed in an urgent question asked by Mr. H. E. Holland in the House this morning. The Labour leader asked the actingPrime Minister whether, in view of the deputation which waited upon him yesterday, demanding wage reductions, he would give the House an assurnaee that the Government would not adopt the wage-reducing policy of the Reform party in the case of men employed on public works classed as relief works, and that, on the contrary, both in relation to wages generally and standard rates on relief works, there would be no attempt to depart from the provisions 01 the various awards and agreements now in existence. Mr. Ransom was further asked whether he would also give an assurance that before any attack was made on the incomes of the lowest-paid members of the community, the larger incomes and salaries would be levied upon to the fullest extent. Mr. Ransom replied that the questions raised by Mr. Holland, were important policy matters, upon which he could not expect an answer off-hand. He could assure the House, however, that there was no intention of departing from Ministerial statements made on the subject recently. The representations made by yesterday's deputation, and also those made by Mr. Holland, had not yet received the consideration of Cabinet, and therefore he was not in a position to make a policy announcement to the House.