WAGE INCREASES

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 77, 27 September 1918, Page 7

WAGE INCREASES

10 THE EDITOR. ' Sir,—ln. the article published.-in The Post on wage increases from .1914 to 1918 is given a table of percentages from figures compiled by tie Government Statistician, in . which it is stated that plasterers since 1914 have received an increase of 18.1 per cent. In. view of the following facts it- would interest me very much to,know how.the Statistician arrives at this conclusion. In- 1914 the award 'rate for plasterers was Is 7Ad an hour for a week. A new award was given by the Arbitration Court in September, 1916,- the rate being Is 7-Jd a.nd 44 hours per week—a reduction in the weekly wage of Is 7^-d. The present award, which came into force on 18th March, 1918, fixed the same minimum rate per hour as the previous award, plus a war bonus of 2d per hour. Thi6 in-i crease works out at a little over 10 per cent. Where the 18.1 per cent, comes from I cannot imagine.—l am,.etc„ W. S. SMITH, 1 Free., Wellington Plasterers' Union.

TO TUB EDITOR. Sir,—The article published in tonight's Post, "Wage' Increases," as supplied by the Government Statistician (Mr. Fraser) are no doubt' interesting as stated by your journal; but on averaging the total amounts for the 32 ocenpa- ■ tions in your list' it is clearly proved that in spite of large increases granted in some cases, Mr. Fraser. only shows 18 per cent, extra w^gesall round. If the 18 per cent. I is'deducted from the admitted shrinkage of 33 per cent, in the purchasing power of the sovereign, it must be apparent to all that the long list of workers referred to are still left in tho unsatisfactory position of doing without 14 per cent, of their pre-war purchases, or 2s 9£d less on each £1 of their weekly wages. Though the position 1 of the average total may be unsatisfactory, it. is a trifle when one analyses the wage increases of half the unfortunate, trades enumerated, for their total average increase works out at 11 per cent, only; which, deducted again from tho' 33 per cent, sovereign shrinkage, makes a 22 per cent, deficiency, which, on a £4 per week basis, still leaves them 18s per week less than pre-war wages.— I am, etc., . iVAE.VIOTIS. ■