THE BASIC WAGE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21938, 12 November 1936, Page 9

THE BASIC WAGE

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS Sir.—Mr Justice Page has just determined the basic wage, namely £3 16s a week, being the amount to allow a family o' five to live in reasonable comfort. It would be interesting to know from what starting point this sum was ba c ed, whether from the 1931 standard or from the Australian standard. It would take a lot of persuasion to impress the initiated that either of these standards would have kept a family in that state of reasonable comfort which we have been led to expect. I will now by the following list of requirements endeavour to show the utter impossibility such a wage would be to keep a family of five at all, let alone in reasonable comfort. In this list I have been as modest as possible throughout. Rent £l, fares 3s 3d, tax and levy 2s 10d. insurance 3s 4d, 41b butter 4s 6d, meat 6s, bread 6s, potatoes 2s, milk 3s 6d, jams, etc., 2s. eggs and bacon 4s, coal ss, gas and light 2s, radio license 6d. sugar Is 6d, puddings, etc., 2s 6d, soap, blue, soda, polish, etc., 2s 6d, lib tea 2s lOd, paper Is. vegetables Is fid: total, £3 17s 3d, I have now a debit balance of Is 3d, and the following are still required: boots and repairs. clothes, school books, renewals, wood, and perhaps a little tobacco will be allowed. If you, Mr Justice Page, or any of the court officials can give me any idea as to how I am going to overcome this difficulty, I shall much appreciate it. Trusting their powers of expenditure will somewhat clarify the muddle.— Yours, etc., CURIOUS. November 10. 1936.