NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 195, 15 May 1922, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

A cable message this morning announces that over eighteen hundred naval officers are to be retired by the Admiralty on half-pay following on the Fleet reductions. Those officers will have to take up their residence somewhere, and it would be an excellent move for our Goy eminent to offer them every inducement to make their homes in New Zealand. Many naval and military officers have settled in this country from time to time with their families, and, with very few exceptions indeed appear to have been well-satis-fied with their choice. If the Government would prepare a little booklet with practical and up-to-date information about New Zealand conditions and circulate it among tho officers of the Royal Navy, without delay, offering them some concession in the transport of themselves and their families, it ,should be an investment that would probably pay handsomely. An opportunity presents itself of securing some immigrants of a very fine typo indeed, and it should not be missed. Many of these officers will probably be inclined to favour settlement overseas. New Zealand is held in high regard by those of them who have visited ns, and a littlo timely activity on our part would probably bring a considerable number here.

Particulars of the disturbance of industry by industrial disputes during 1921, as they are published in »thc current “Abstract of Statistics,” present some points of interest. Throughout the Dominion, there were 77 stoppages of this character during the year. The number of workers concerned was 10.433, and the approximate loss in wages was £90,477. On the record of the year, the Dominion compares favourably with other countries, riotably with several of tho Australian States. It is of greater practical importance, however, that the loss of time and money over industrial disputes• was very much more in each of two industries —coal-mining and shipping and cargo working —than in all other industries combined. This is shown in the following summary of the official table: Industrial disturbances for twelve MONTHS TO DECEMBER 31, 1921.

Totals 77 112 10.433 90,477 Obviously, if other industries had been disturbed to the same extent by disputes as coal-mining and. cargo-working the loss sustained in this way would be very much more serious than it is. The numerous disputes entailing stoppages in these two industries, of course, indirectly penalise the whole population, other wage-earners included. Such interruptions of industry make an appreciable addition to working costs, and correspondingly increase the price of goods and services. On the figures presented, and taking fair account of the indirect effect of those stoppages, it is plain that coal-miners and cargo workers are doing a good deal to increase the cost of living of .their fellow workers., * * * *

A point worth noting in connection with the reduction of the basic wage recommended by too Board of Trade in New South Wales is tho reported attitude of many employers. Rather than reduce wages they would prefer to maintain existing rates provided the employees increase production. This, of course, would serve the case in view. The lessened cost of production not only would enable the local manufacturer to compete with imported goods and assist to reduce the cost of living, but it would stimulate demand. One of the two methods of reducing toe cost of production—less wages or longer hours —has been shown to be necessary. Even the Labour representatives on toe Board of Trade admit it, but so far attention has been almost entirely concentrated on the wages side of tho matter. It is quite obvious, however, that there would be littlo if any hardship in most cases if workers now engaged on too basis of a 44-hour week worked an extra two or four hours a week, and no doubt many would prefer this to a reduction of their wages.

AnuroxiNo. of mate No. of firms No. of loss in disturb- • conworkers wqges 40,332 Industry. ances c Goal mining .... 37 Shipping and cargo-working 23 jerned 47 affected 4972 47 4704 46,321 All other industries 17 18 757 3.824