"EXERTION WAGES."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 231, 23 June 1908, Page 9

"EXERTION WAGES."

■ — THE PREMIUM PLAN AT CHRISTCHURCH. OPPOSED BY THE' WORKERS. It has already been, mentioned in tho discissions, that, ha vo arisen out of tho Hon. Dr. Findlay's references to tho new system of "needs . wages" and. "exertion wages," that suoh a scheme has already been brought into operation at Messrs. Booth, Macdonald, and Company's .iron works at Christchurch. In yesterday's issue of The Dominion an extract was given from an' open'-letter addressed to tlio' employees by Mr. G. T. Booth. Tho writer described the premium pian, which is really tho s'amo thing as tho system recommended by Dr. Findlav, as "a fair deal," and indicated that he hoped it would be tho means of inducing the men to find ;quickor and easier ways of doing their work, - so that for a given amonnt of exertion they could turn out more product. Wo liavo now received a copy of'a •paper whioh'Mr. Booth road before tho New Zealand Ironmasters' Association, at. a, conference held in Christchuroh last March v Ho describes tho system. in question in tho. following terms: — "We apply the: premium plan to all''the workmen on tho moulding floor, and it may interest you to kno>v the met lied. Each pattern' in use bears a' number placed upon it conspicuously so as not' to ;appear on tho castings; ■ A- letter -is prefixed to indicate the year in which a pattern is made, and every pattern made that, year bears this letter and a ■ serial number. ■- These : numbers are recorded and against.each- a definite allowance for Moulding time is noted. Each moulder's output is recorded day by day., and 'timo credited according to this -' scale; Totals are made up each week, and -if a workman's time for the week, calculated on the timo allowance soale, is in oxcess 'of the actual time,he was at work, he is paid premium at the rate of 50 per cent, of the excess time. For tho period-of six months, ending Novem* ber -last, -75' per cqnt. of the moulders-wero in credit on tho-ipremrum plan, tho 'average •gain being about 10-per cent., which' indicates an increase in output of fully 20 per cent;, and a.corresponding gain to the business. Workmen unablo to keep up to scale aro, ; of oourse, paid the usual wages so long as. their-services 7 ,are retained. .Only good castings are counted .and -credited--to workmen:' In other, departments the premium plan is - applied ; as freely as possible, and with almost invariably 'go<jd results)" ' In the course of a discussion on his paper, Mr.. Booth (according to the report) mentioned .that. "strange' to say,'in their new claims'tHo*^ moulders opposed this system,.' Probably, it was on account of an, utterance, or implied opinion, of the Hon. J. Bigg that 'work should be "dodged" whenever and'that it was; a mistake on the iart of the men to turn out more work than sould easily be dono in eight hours.? "

X. MR. BARCLAY'S OPINION. . . • STATE CONTROL OF INDUSTRIES. (BY TELEGRAPH.'—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) „ Dunetlln, 'June 22. Speaking- at the' meeting of the Progressive' Society last' night, Mr. A. Rj Barclay', M.P.,- dealt with the Attorney-Goneral's lato speech, which he said might he summed up ; in' a' Tory few words as follows"Thero igs' very..little of a surplus ~ from productive -industry to pay any more wages to the f' workers, and if the ".workers want more • . .'wages they,will have to do ; moro work', and : thon '.they will'get a little more pay." This, was somewhat cold comfort to the wage' • •••. earners.'/ Dr. :; Findlay • had" entirely omitted to make : .the slightest - reference: to the demand .for State control, of'industries. He made his speech' apparently on the supposition that the competitive system of private v enterprise was 1 likely to continue indefinitely, ' ' and , lie (j\lr; ; Barclay) had grave doubts • whether that w;ould be so., '. '