MAINTENANCE OF HIGH WAGES.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20917, 26 July 1933, Page 10

MAINTENANCE OF HIGH WAGES.

—♦- * i THE MAYOR'S POLICY. || APPEAL TO COUNCILLORS. \ I The opinion that if the views of , some councillors that the wages of , Christchurch City Council employee* t should be reduced were adopted a *'' suicidal policy would be followed, ~I was expressed by the Mayor, Mr IX 5y G. Sullivan, M.P., at a meeting <£"*\* the council last evening. „|£ Nearly four hours had been spent '4, by the council in discussing a pro-- J| posal to transfer £15,000 from the %, funds of the Municipal Electricty \ Department to the council's fund to '|§ balance the annual estimates. Sev- M eral members opposed the transfer, -ff stating that the council had no right *■& to do this, but that the correct m course to adopt was to effect econo-, s| mies by reducing wages by, say, II M per cent., or to increase the rata*. f| At the end of this time the .Mayor l ' 1 !! said the council was drifting into ajt 'M awkward position and that, in view m of the expression of opinions, tik, tg might find it had no alternative bat M to increase rates or reduce wages. City Council's Policy. 'Ji Mr Sullivan said he respected thtlffi opinions of those councillors advocated a reduction in wages, tafjffl he had not felt so sincerely aboutlra anything in his life as he felt a 'wage-reducing policy would bejl| suicidal. The Christchurch Cxfelffl Council had avoided reducing wagef||| throughout the years of the deprefr!|lj sion and it was now coming toj"* l recognised throughout the J warty "■ that wage reductions had been a M great blunder and one of the pjrhnft*3 causes for the rapid deterioration of?, J| the world's economic structure. $| This opinion was now securing M support in the United States, abij3| also from statesmen in other tries and from prominent businefc* 3| men who had visited New Zealand. ,M It would be a tragedy for council to reverse its policy afcthy||| stage and cut salaries and waMtJI The council had been almost a «l%M| in the Dominion in retaining Jg||| wages level. Its opinion had tajftJn that this policy was bad for «M|H country and not only for the of Christchurch. The view *mm gaining ground that wages have to be increased. He * >e^*v that by the time the council consider its estimates again in 'Jmm year's time, the volume of PUBqJS opinion for an increase in ,Rra S eß JflH the method of bringing aboutjagtaH nomic recovery would be irre«§l*l|j