RURAL WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 17, 22 July 1921, Page 7

RURAL WORKERS

WAGES IN AUSTRALIA.

(FMM OUR OHM CORItHPOXDIHI.)

SYDNEY, 14th July. The New South Wales .Board of Trade's protracted consideration of the wages of rural workers has long been an. object of considerable ■ anxiety to coountry interests, and some relief is felt at the note of extreme caution which was struck; by the president, ■ Judge Beeby, in a lengthy statement on tno subjecj, which ho made on Thursday. On the basis of inquiries hitherto held, the board has not felt that the information obtained has justified' it in fixing a basic wage for employees in rural industries. New inquiries, however, will shortly bo opened regarding the increase or decrease in the cost of living generally, during which the board will seek additional information regarding the diverse and rather complex conditons in the country, it will then decide whether a standard wage should bo fixed, or whe-' ther it should continue to refrain from, such actiion. The present attitude of the board was indicated by the president's remark that, even if the agricultural employees were possessed of no special attributes, it would be difficult to resist a clpjm on their behalf for a wage comparable witli that fixed for unskilled work-' ers iv other industries. Furthermore, though the board had been impressed by the unanimity of opinion on the part of agriculturalists that the employable labour generally available to. them was uneven, and even inferior in quality, tho board had heard no argument designed to convince it that there was any essential difference between, the basic wage rights of the rural and non-rural employees, it .having been made clear to the board that the farmers' need was not. cheap labour, but that which was efficient and productive. It was indicated, however, that the wage fixe.il might bo lower than that in other industries, in view of rental conditions and certain other elements making tho cost of living chcaner.

[The cable news in tills Issue accredited to "Tlic Times" has appeared in that journal, but only where expressly-stated is such news the editorial opinion of "The Times."]