RESTORATION OF WAGE CUTS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21813, 19 June 1936, Page 10

RESTORATION OF WAGE CUTS

MR SAVAGE’S REMINDER

TO EMPLOYERS RETROSPECTIVE PAY FROM JULY 1, IF NECESSARY [From Our Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, June 18. “It is difficult to understand why anyone should have had any misconception or doubt as to the intentions of the Government to restore cuts in wages and salaries as from July 1,” said the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) when asked this evening to comment on the suggestion made by Mr A. E. Monder, secretary of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation, that many employers did not realise the imminence of the restoration.

“Special pains were taken to make the position clear,” Mr Savage said. There was no humbug about the statement that was made recently in Parliament, through the press and over the air, that wages and salariQS would be restored to the 1931 level as fr~-i July 1, “We made it clear on that occasion that legislation would be introduced in the second part of the session to make provision for a full restoration of the cuts in wages and salaries,” said Mr Savage. It had been the intention of the Government to bring down the necessary legislation much earlier, but there was no time for that.

“In view of the many difficulties involved, there was a specific purpose in an-.ouncing, as we di<f, to Parliament and I’ie people thd* intention of the Government to have wages fully restored as from July 1. We wanted to make sure that no employer would be taken unawares and that ample time would be given to all employers to make provision for the payment of increased wages and salaries as from July 1.

“It does not matter whether the restoration will be made by employers on that date or later, but let it be clearly understood that If payment does rot begin on July 1, it will be made retrospective when legislation is put through Parliament as early as possible in the second part of the session.”