THE STANDARD WAGE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17741, 18 April 1923, Page 8

THE STANDARD WAGE.

LABOUR VIEW. Although the Arbitration Court has decided not to make a general order reducing rates of remuneration, the position is not altogether viewed' with satisfaction in Labour circles (says the Wellington "Post"), as I it is possible that an effort may be iv.de to'induce the Court tu allow the unions to make application for existing rates to be increased. The Labour views were summarised by Mr A. Parlane, secretary of the Drivers' Federation, on Monday, when ho said that the present rates of wages still left the workers below the lyj-l standard of living. According to the Court's announcement, the average in the cost of living for tho past six months was '56.2 per cent, higher than the 1914 level, 'in 1914, the standard wage for unskilled workers was. Is 2d per hour; therefore, to reach the 101-1 standard, the unskilled workers would require to-day to receive Is 93d per hour, whereas the Court only allowed Is Sild. "It is hard to believe that the cosi of living is onlv 5.5.2 per c-tnt. above the 1914 level," stated Mr Parlane. "In saying this, 1 do not desire to cast any reflection on the Government Statistician's office, but the pnint is that we have no means of checking the information he receives from the tradespeople in respect to the movement in the cost of living. liis computations are simply made on ex parte statements of one section of the community. The average worker finds it considerably harder to live on what he earns at present than on what he revived in 1914. The whole question of the Court's standard 1 wage should be reopened with the object <i* hearing evidence and argument in invour of an increase in the standard rate."