A LIVING WAGE

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 130, 29 November 1919, Page 7

A LIVING WAGE

N.S.W. BOARD OF TRADE PROPOSAL FAVOURED

CHILD MAINTENANCE BILL

STRANGLED

(UNITED TRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPYRIGHT.)

SYDNEY, 28th November

The Legislative Council carried an amendment to give effect to the Board of Trades' living wage proposal, thereby strangling the Child Maintenance Bill. The Government intends to meet the new phase of the living wage question by special legislation, the nature of which has not yet been disclosed.

(Received November 29, 9.30 a.m.)

SYDNEY, This Day

Mr. Holman is chagrined at the Council strangling the Child Maintenance Bill, and declares that it is a deliberate thwarting of Government policy which the Government will not sit quietly under. The decision means an immense increase in commodities, wholly due to the increase in wages, which would have been reduced by half if tho Maintenance Bill had been carried.

[The Board of Trade decided to increase the living minimum wage from £3 to £3 17s, and, according to the Premier (Mr Holman) this -decision would saddle the industries of the State with an additional outlay of £14,000,000 in wages per annum. The Government proposed legislature (the Child Maintenance Bill) which would reduce the amount of extra wages to £6,500,000. The Board of Trade's proposal was calculated to be necessary under existing conditions, to maintain a married man, his wife, and two children. The Government proposed to give a living wage to every employee, singlo or married, which was declared "dequato for the support of. a man and his wife, and to create a fund froni which every employee who had children would be, entitled to Uc i>«id per week an additional wage.] v