LABOUR AND WAR.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15500, 29 January 1916, Page 3

LABOUR AND WAR.

QUESTION OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND. A brief interlude -took place at the sitting of the Auckland Conciliation Council on Monday, says the "Star," while the members went into u question of economics. Mr Coupe, who represented the South Auckland sa,v ~ millers, had. made a request that bv mutual agreement engine-drivers. m that industry might be permitted to work fifty-lour hours' per week, provided they received the ordinary pay for the extra time worked over the, week fixed for other trades. Me said the present hours for engineers were forty-eight per week. The timber industry was in a bad way at. the present time, and it was desired, if tho men were agreeable, to work the extra hours on ordinary pay—in fact, to work tile extra time without having to pay overtime. They were not asking the men to work for nothing, but so many were going to the front that it was feared there would be. a shortage, and therefore it was desired that those wlio remained behind should receive ordinary pay for tho extra hours worked. Mr Cain (assessor for the union) said he could not agree to such a request. He also mentioned that three years ago there had been a similar application made when there was no war on t IF men worked over the hours fixed for a week they should get overtime. Mr Coupe pointed out that already fifty men had gone from their mills for the* front, and others had enlisted and were waiting to be called up; and it was only right • that those who remained at homo should put in longer hours at ordinary pay provided they were aureeable to do so. Mr T. Harlc Giles: More credit to tho men for going., ■Mr Cousins (employers'_ assessor) remarked that at a time like the prosent there should be give-and-take in these matters. Mr Coupe: Already .about 40,000 men have gone from New Zealand, and probably another 20,000 will go yet, and to make up the shortage extra hours must be worked. Mr Cain: It is a principle of commerce that when goods are plentiful prices are low, and when goods are scarce prices advance. The workers have to pay more for. their commodities during the war, and if there should be a shortage of men, on the principle of commerce, the'"wages should advance. Mr Coupe said if a man wanted to make more money, why should he not be allowed to work longer hours? 31 r Heed said no doubt the timber industry had been prejudicially affected by the war. If there was a big demand. prices went up. and the same should apply for labour. Tf there was a shortage of men, then the wacces should go up. Finallv the matter was left for the Arbitration Court to decide.