THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 17328, 16 April 1920, Page 2

THE LABOR MOVEMENT

{By Vbthraw.] Bnef contribution* on matters with reference to the Labor Movement art invited, PROPOETIOWAL PURCHASING POWER. Although wages are advancing and already have advanced considerably above pre-war rates, the fact remains that present-day wages hare not the earoe purchasing power as the -wages paid in 1914. At least, that is the position- with the workers in the majority of industries in the Dominion. The same conditions obtain in other parts of the Empire. In Australia a pood many articles dealing with this question have appeared, especially in tho Labor Press. Mr H. E. Langridge. a p-übfic auditor and 1 accountant, recently wrote to the secretary of the Basic Wag© Commission, contending that the automatic adjustment of the basic wage slrould be according to what he called the "proportional purchasing power." He also offered to give evidence before the Commission on the subject.

Mr Justice in the Queensland Arbitration Court, dealing with this subject some time ago, eaid: "After reasonable argument of the employees, there should be #vmc means by which there could be an automatic adjustment of wages compared with the Commonwealth Statistician's tables. Such a device might suffice to enable the employees "to maintain the existing standard of living; but the employers seek to raise their standard of living, and Arbitration Courts should assist them, or at least endeavor to assist them, to raise -the standard when the circumstances show that- it should be raised. For instance, it is but just that the employees should share in the increased prosperity and productivity of the State. . . " I have, however, little dotrbt that his (the wageearner's! financial position has not- improved proportionately with the increased productivity of the State; but the statistics are not sufficiently complete to enable this to be stated "absolutely."

I'rofessor Gide. in his book ' The Prin- | ciples of Political Economy' (which i ft a toxt_ book in some of the Australian Universities), says: " The increase in wages, though real, has not been proportionate to the growth of general prosperity. In other words, the wages of Labor have increased more slowly than the income of the other classes of society. Suppose that the social surplus dividend between laborers and capitalists 50 years ago was two billion doEars. each class receiving one hil-lion. Suppose that to-day the surplus has increased to four billions, of which the laboring classes get one and a-half billions and te capitalist two' and a-half billions. In this case the increase of wages, though real, would not mean a ganuine improvement in the condition of laborers, their share haviinr increased but 50 per cent., while that of the capitalist has grown 150 per cent., or three times ua rapidly. To be sure, the wage-earners would be better off than before, absolutely speaking, but they wonld not feel any richer than before, because riches are purely relative. The nature of man issuch that even prosperity, if in strong contrast with the greater prosperity of those aronnd him. may seem like poverty. From the standpoint of social justice we most admit that the laboring class are entitled not only to a positive improvement in the pon'dition of life, but also to an increase of income at least equal to that of the other social classes. Statistics, I however, seem to show that the income of the working classes has not kept pace with I the general growth of wealth."

We do not need to go outside of New Zealand to prove that wages have not kept pace with the general prosperity of the country. True, the worker is receiving more wages, but in very few cases doe,s the increased pay come up to the increased Cost of Living. The capitalists and the large employers of labor are on a different wicket. Their dividends and" income in many cases have more than doubled, and in numerous instances shares have been increased without any more share capital being paid up. Professor Gide is not far wrong when he says that the capitalist's income increases three times as fast as the wages of the laboring man. The Arbitration Court, with their Cost of .Living bonus, profess to be keeping the wages up to the increasing prices. How far" short they come is shown bv the following example:—Certain tradesmen in Dnned'in were receiving Is lOd per hour. They applied for and were granted the Id per'hour bonus, but one large employer, evidently thinking that enough had not been given, notified his employees that 'from April 1 they would he paid 2* per tour, together with a bonus of 2d per hour.

******* THE TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES. About the end of last year a conference was held in Wellington, at which all the tramway systems were represented by both employees and managers, etc. Tho object of the conference was to endeavor to draw up a uniform set of working conditions for the Dominion. The conference proved abortive-, and it lias been stated that the opposition came chiefly from the Southern managers. The failure of the conference caused great dissatisfaction amongst the employees in the different centres, and there have been many meetings held to consider what should he done to secure the workers a living wage. T believe the tramwaymen are anxious to secure a satisfactory settlement without putting the travelling public to any inconvenience ; but unless they are given improved conditions shortly it is hard to tell what may happen. The hourly rates paid to tramway employees are much lower than what is paid to most workers who have less responsibilities, and it is not to be expected that they will be content with !the present conditions for very long. At the time of writing a conference is being held between representatives of the Auckland Tramways Employees' Union and the management of the corporation tramways, and it is expected that a new agreement will be "drawn up to take the place of the present one, which is about to expire, and the men are expecting very much improved wages and conditions — even better than they were asking at the Dominion conference last year. The writer of 'Labor "Notes' in the I Auckland 'Star' says: At the Dominion conference the men asked for a wage for | motormen of 2s per hoar, with other grades I in proportion, but much has happened j since then. The Cost of Living has soared | still higher, the Arbitration Court have I already granted to other unions already in ! possession awards an increased bonus I of Id per hour, or 4s per week of 48 hours (retrospective to January 1), while intimation has been given that, owing to the announcement by the Government Statistician that the index numbers which guide ' the computation of the rise and fall of i prices ehow a- further upward tendency, I a further borens of probably 2d per hour, j or 8s per 48-hnnr week, will be declared I as from the Ist of April. What satisfied the in December does not appear adequate to them in April, in view of these pronouncements, and small won- ] der is it to find that nest, week's conference will be presented with an increase in the claims for wages for motormen up to 2s 3d per hour. No wonder that people who hav« no union are asking the question : "Where are we all going to?" The answer ia: " Form yourselves into a union, and look after your own interests." ******* • THE WAIHI SETTLEMENT. A great sigh, cf profound relief went forth from the community when it was announced that a settlement of the Waihi tronble had been arrived' at by rautaial agreement, Auckland people—and by that term' I mean the whple province of "Auckland—have vivid remembrances of the desolation and distress caused by the last big strike at Waihi in 1913, Owing to the "shutting down of the mines at Waflii caused "by the strike, a general exodns took place to other parts of the Dominion, arid property, consisting of houses and furniture, fell to a ruinous value. Ruin stared the tradespeople in the face. It took years to get things back to normal, and when a week cr two ago the engineers struck, followed by the mineß, and the mine-owners, preparing for a long straggle, withdrew the horses._froaji.4be minea, .blank

dismay fell on the Waihi people, from the Mayor downwards. A deputation to Wellington to the Government led to the setting up of a special conference, with Mr P. Hally as chairman, and after proceedings of an amicable nature (so we are inionned), a settlement has been arrived at, which has been accepted Ify.a ballot of the miners concerned. The men are to have an increase.of 2a per shift, and the employers are to pay less than the wage asked for by the men, and both parties are satisfied. This is called conciliation ; but. call it what you will, no one is more satisfied than the general public; for the danger of these industrial troubles is, that, like a. bu3h fire, one never knows where it is going to stop, unless the wind changes. Mr Hally's experience in industrial matters bas been of great service to the community. He had a most difficult job before hira, when he left Wellington, to handle this dispute, and he did the task in a workmanlike manner.—Auckland ' Star.'