WAGES AND COSTS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 11, 13 July 1931, Page 5

WAGES AND COSTS

SIMULTANEOUS REDUCTION

Whether a reduction in the cost of living should precede a.reduction, in wages was a question debated at the New Zealand Farmers' Union Conference last week. An Auckland remit favoured a reduction under that circumstance.

Captain F. Colbeck (Auckland) said that farmers had asked industries to pass on the 10 per cent, reduction, and the reply had been that if was impossible. In the interests of the Dominion an attempt should- be made to reduce the cost of living before a reduction in the.cost' of wages was insisted upon. Mi-. H. Barter (Auckland) said ho did not know whether anybody was hopeful of a reduction, in tram fares, for inBtance, as a result'of the wages reduction, , : ■:■ ■ Mr. J. Cocker (Eltham^ said that living costs had come down-irrespective of tariff walls. According to the Government Statistician the cost of living was down nine points before the reduction in wages. He could not see the force o£:the remit. -

Mr. A: M'Cpnaugny. (Auckland) said that the Manufacturers' Association had made* a statement that they had practically no intention of passing thereductions on. He thought the remit should be supported. Mr. W. H. Ward (Southland): "Who is to compel the cost of living to come down?"

Mr. Joll said he did not like the remit, which was asking that before anything -was done as far as -wages were concerned the farmers should reduce their products. ■ A.delegate:"We have done that." Mr. A. E. Robinson (Auckland) said that the average price tho fisherman got was about Id per lb, while the average price of fish throughout New Zealand was somewhere around Is. If meat was given, to the butchers' shops tho price would not come down very much. Ho favoured reductions in costs, tariffs, interest, and profiteering. Mr; D. Dickie (Gore) said tho conferenco should not pass the remit. Taking a broad view it meant that the workers' standard of living had to bo maintained, whilo the standard of living of others must bo reduced. Mr. L. Poupard (Glen Oroua) said the i-cmit had1 only one interpretation, that the conference was opposed to a reduction in the standard of living. Ho would •support it. ■ ■;The-'remit■was carried in the following form:— !.' "That this conference approves the principle of a reduction in the cost of living simultaneous with a reduction in wages."