THE WAGES QUESTION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1930, Page 17

THE WAGES QUESTION

STOEEMEN'S RESOLUTION

At a meeting of members of tho Storemen and Packers' Union on Tuesday tho following resolution was carried: — "That this meeting disagree with the object and action of the Dominion Farmers' Union on the matter oi reducing, thn post of production by reducing wag.es/ and that in order to attain that object volunlary conciliation and arbitration should be made tho law of the land,'scrapping tho present compulsory arbitration system. We believe that to lower wages would still further depress tho local market and shrink the necessary current oxpendituro by limitation of purchasing pctrcr—t-hus aggravate g the unemployment problem. -In our opinion tho euro for unemployment lies close at hand in the creation of greater power to consume the crooks we produce, and certainly not in "the creating of greater stnngoncy of the medium in exchange oi services and goods. If denied the medium, how can we,buy what wo have produced and greatly need? Under consumption caused by the unjust operation 'oi1 difference between price levels and effective wages is the true cnuso ot trmlo depression and unemployment. Waces do not closely follow prices in the rising, and hardly ever equalise m values at tho peak; but when weak purchasing powor and consequent underconsumption forces pric.es down, wages for profit's sake are demanded to tako a lower level first that prices may iollow. This must, in our opinion, cui'b raUier than expand the local market. Wo claim (1) that there should be a national expansion of credit and currency to keep pace witutho production of goods. (2) That wider distribution of an expanded purchasing power in essontial. This will stimulate the circulation _ot tho medium and enlargo the consuming power of the local market, and be effectively the most socially and beneficial manner of expending the national income. Instead" of living as we do now to produce for export and profit alone, and fixing prices at parity with world poverty, wo will live to lift and maintain a standard of human comfort and happiness commensurate with natural potentialities and intellectual abilities. We want Now Zealand to blot unemployment, poverty, and want out of its economic map; and this can be done by allowing A lesser proportion of the ilntionnl income to be absorbed by rent, iiiofit, interest, mid accumulation. _ yvo ivish to co-oporate with the Dominion Tanners' Union in the interest of the Puminion, that the farmer and all other u-orkers-shall .have tho right to work ami to live, and'we want tho farmons to help us prevent the drones eating and depleting the honey fi-om this industrial hive. Wo want tho Farmers' Union to remember that the economics of human development, culture, and, comfort are the essentials of life. They are divino]y set in frames of moral and spiritual laws." '