The Scheme of Things

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 89, 11 October 1941, Page 13

The Scheme of Things

(By M.H.C.)

The question of equal pay for women and men has been widely considered by Australian women. WomanpoVer has, of necessity, been largely called upon for carrying out the gigan^ tic war effort, and in the vast majority of cases has been given willingly and effectively. In New Zealand the offers of help to the Government have been largely in excess of the demand, and a large number of women have retired from the arena of effort, and where they cannot ioin in the somewhat overcrowded private patriotic efforts have returned to their bridge and other amusements of the kind. Accordingly, they should not be blamed if they have done their best to help, as it is better to be amused than nervy, perhaps. With the seriousness of affairs threatening the .world it is up to everyone not to inflict "nerves" on their world, but at least try to be cheerful. The Equal Pay Joint Committee in Australia has done - much work and given a great deal of thought to the matter of wages. The demand for women in employments hitherto exclusively reserved for men has already increased largely, and, very unfortunately, is likely to be still greater as the war goes on.' "Owing to the existing practice of paying women about half the wages men received, the employment of women constitutes a grave danger to the wage and living standards built up by men for themselves," says one writer. "Once women are admitted into any industry in large numbers under existing wage conditions there is a likelihood that the whole standard will be geared down to the female level." Mention is made of the fact that women have been "legislated out of" a number of occupations with manifest injustice. What appeals to some thinkers as a remedy for improving all work would be salary by results, industry, and talent for work. We read many sad cases ir the New Zealand papers of the results of high payment- for young

workers who cannot have attained great skill, but because of the wage standard for their employment get large payments weekly which give them liberty to waste the money in a number of unfortunate ways. This often brings them within reach of the law, making them a nuisance to other people and frequently spoils their lives almost at the outset by Lack of self-control. Likewise, it brings sorrow and disgrace to good parents who have earned the respect of their fel-low-citizens by their decent lives. There are many tragedies in this direction. The only remedy that seems to have common sense to support it is to have standards of merit in all employments and to require the young ones especially to- meet these.