STATISTICIAN TELLS COURT; ‘lncorrect Use Of Figures By F.O.L.’

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32385, 26 August 1970, Page 1

STATISTICIAN TELLS COURT; ‘lncorrect Use Of Figures By F.O.L.’

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 25. Official statistics quoted by the Federation of Labour in its submissions to the Arbitration Court contained at least 30 instances where figures were either incorrect or misleading as used in the submissions, the Government Statistician (Mr J. P. Lewin) told the Court today.

Mr Lewin was appearing under subpoena to the Federation of Labour and the Public Service Association during the hearing of the application for a general wage order which began today.

Questioned by the president of the F.O.L. (Mr T. E. Skinner), Mr Lewin said three types of statistics had been quoted by the federation in its 45-page submission. These were statistics for which he accepted full responsibility, statistics which were official but were not published by his department and for which he would not accept responsibility, and statistics' which were either official or had been the subject of further computations for which he would again not take responsibility Mr Lewin said that since Friday, when his staff began checking the figures quoted by the F.O.L. only the official statistics of his depart tnent had been checked. He was therefore not yet in a position to provide the Court with a full report, but

would be able to do so tomor row. Of the statistics checked so far, about 30 cases had been found where the statistics quoted by the F.O.L. appeared in an incorrect form or were misleading in the way they had been used. Before being excused by the Court, subject to appearing tomorrow with a full report on the accuracy of the statistics quoted, Mr Lewin was asked by the Employers’ Federation advocate (Mr P. J. Luxford) to provide figures related to the F.O.L.’s appli-

cation for an 11.5 per cent increase in wage rates. Mr Luxford asked Mr Lewin to calculate the effects on salary and wage rates if the 11.5 per cent were granted in full, how much it would cost if 11.5 per cent were paid to all Government employees, and what effect there would be on prices if such an increase were passed on to ruling wage rates. Submissions By F.0.L., Back Page