"VERY FEW CASES"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 111, 6 November 1941, Page 11

"VERY FEW CASES"

CHRISTCHURCH EXPERIENCE

(P.A.)

CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 4,

There appear to be very1 few cases, if any, in Christchurch of youths and girls drawing the high wages mentioned in messages from Wellington and Auckland published this week. This was indicated, today in inquiries made in all interested quarters, including the Trades Hall, the Canterbury Manufacturers' Association, and individual firms. Evidence of no single case of unduly high payments could be discovered.

It was stated in a Wellington message that the high wages mentioned were being paid in a stocking factory, but a representative of one of the largest hosiery firms in the Dominion, operating in Christchurch, said that there was no similar case in the industry to his knowledge. This opinion was endorsed by a director of another big Christchurch firm, an engineering firm engaged in important work, including the-manufacture of munitions. He said that there was no chance whatever of such high wages being paid in the engineering trade. The only likelihood of unusually high wages being paid was in dangerous tasks associated with such jobs as enamelling, and they were few.

Mr. R. T. Alston, secretary of the Christchurch Manufacturers' Association, said that to the best of his knowledge there was no flagrant case at all of high wages being paid in Christchurch.

The State Placement Officer in Christchurch, Mr. J. R. Brown, said he hed not heard of anything like the wages quoted from Auckland and Wellington being paid here. . -