THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 17776, 26 September 1921, Page 2

THE LABOR MOVEMENT

[By Veteran.]

Brit] contributions on matters with reference to the Labor Movement aft .invited.

THE WAGES SYSTEM

T have just come across a book entitled 'The Wages of Labor,’ written by. William Graham, M.P., M.A., , LL.B. In nine chapters, covering 160 pages, Mr Graham, deals with every phase of the wage system. Ho says: ‘‘The most familiar classification of wages is that which deals with time earnings on the one hand and piece-work payment, or some system of payment by results, on the other, The. former may bo payment at so much per hour, clay, week, month, or vear, or in respect of services which, are normally regarded as occupying _ a certain amount of time. It is tins form of remuneration which is applied to a very large proportion of British labor. For many occupations it is probably the only form that could be applied, since they do not lend themselves to measure: ment of output; nor would they bo readily capable of carrying a general or overhead bonus or extra reward based on "their broad efficiency. At tho moment there is again a powerful attack on tune earnings. It is argued that with- the spread of under-procfuction as a device for safeguarding the worker in continued employment time wages have tended in many cases to move farther away from exact eleven approximate measurement of reward for tho service actually rendered. They become, then, either a form of imposition upon the employers, or, what is more ■likely, upon tho consumer of the commodity sold. In, circumstances of fx-ee, or tolerably free, competition in production, tho consumer might bo protected .■either wholly or in .part, because it might be" assumed that other producers with more efficient service would _ obtain the market. But much of what is ordinarily used by tho people to-day is •produced under conditions of # combined effort, through enterprises, cither actually amalgamated or operating under trade agreements regarding the system of production or the precise conditions of sale.. In some cases the trust organisation found in complete vertical form—that, is, beginning with tho raw material of the industry and continuing throughout until it regulates also tho completed and finished retail article. Generally speaking, such an industrial organisation, if it depends in tho main upon time services and remunerates its labor upon a time basis, will be able to make allowance for tho kind of output it can achieve and for any disproportion which may exist or grow up between that aggregate output and the aggregate wage bill from time to time. In many spheres in which this problem of remuneration is now acute there is no effective competition or rivalry at Home, nor at the moment is tho foreign commodity able in many cases to enter tho field with any chance of popular adoption. In such circumstances, therefore, it seems ’undeniable that consumers, at all events for a period, must bear the burden in tho form of increased prices or an inferior article. In the absence of serviceable substitutes this may continue, and in most cases it will affect the workers themselves as consumers of the commodity they are engaged in producing. The logic of ‘ ca’ canny ’ is invincible: in tho last resort it hits with relentless force those who would dignify it as a doctrine and suggest that it is one of the temporary steps by which (to quote their own phraseology) labor can get even with capital. It is neither hopeful nor dignified to peek a supreme “evenness” in general suicide. It is urged that notwithstanding all the suspicion and_ the unrest which have been characteristic of British economic progress within recent times the great majority of people have little paticnco with the revolutionary extremist who would, with frank impartiality, wipe out at once both the history of the - ownership, growth, and use of capital, and the story of the laborious development of the trade unions, the friendly societies, and the co-operative movement. For him these things are_ altogether lacking in appeal to the imagination. They are far too stubborn; they ■are only Hie practical facts of a world which ho dislikes too intensely to accept even as a starting point for a better future. It is not, however, in keeping with the traditions of the British people to lend themselves to any cause of catastrophic change. Wc shall grope our way into a better economic system, as wo have painfully overcome other obstacles to progress .in the past.” I would urge all students of labor problems lo_ read Mr Graham’s book. It was published as, recently as March last, and deals with all wage problems. AN UNFAIR PROVISION. Under the above heading, “Industrial Tramp,’’ in the Auckland ‘ Star, draws attention to unfair voting power in electing a workers’ representative on the Arbitration Court. He says : Each time that the triennial nomination of a workers’ representative to the Arbitration Court eventuates, I have drawn attention to tho. unfair provision under the Act, by which the Amalgamated Society o! Kailway Servants, though not working under an award of the court, thereby not recognising the court in any shape or form, can yet exercise a preponderating power in the election of a workers’ representative on tho court. _ It should be explained that a union making a nomination is allowed one vote for each complete fifty of its membership, as shown by its annual return of membership the previous year; and any union with less than fifty members is allowed one vote also. Thus, a small union of sixteen members possesses one vote ; one of fiftyfive members also has one vote, and a union with ninety-eight members has one vote, because it is two members short of the second fifty. Tho Railway Servants’ Society of New Zealand is a registered union under the Act, although up to tho present its members have always chosen to remain outside an arbitration award. Although it has branches in cadi railway centre in the Dominion, its business is conducted by a central executive at Wellington, and last year it registered a total membership of 7,934, which with one vote for each complete fifty gives it & voting power of 158 votes for the candidate it chooses to nominate, and it has not failed to exercise this power of nomination. There have been complaints, “not loud, but doon,” every election, and many think lha£ it is time that some amendment of the Act was introduced to put an end to this injustice. If the Act is not- good enough to work under in the shape of an award, then no union should have the power’ to wield such a “big stick” in the election of a representative who is to legislate for Someone other, than themselves. The union that has _ the next largest membership to the Railway Servants is tho Auckland Hotel and Restaurant Employees’ Uniom which last year returned a membership of 0,715, and would therefore exercise seventy-four votes in its nomination, but no one would complain about that, because the union in question has always gone to the Arbitration Court for Us # # * • * WANT AND WASTE. Sir Leo Chiozza Money, in an article on want, waste, and wages, says: It is when we look at the expenditure of the nation as a whole and the occupations of our people os a whole that wo see where tho waste lies, and obtain a true perspective in the matter. Wc have too few people making useful articles and; too many squandering. their time in wasteful occupations. The misdirected workers cannot help themselves; they have to take what work offers or Starve. They cannot question the character of their work. For lack of proper organisation they have to c ive of their labor in vain. “W© have the means to-create a true big wage of happiness, which may be summed up as the command of beautiful dwelling*, of the materials to sustain life and to rear happy children to succeed us. of good recreation and association, of music, literature, and tho drama, of the beauties of Nature, of healthy minds in healthy bodies. “The truth about these things is at once profound and simple. They are not hard to come by if wo work 00-op«ra--1 - -

“It is equally true that without considerable measures of organisation such as we have not. yet adopted they appear unobtainable, save for a few, Wo .may go further, indeed, and say with truth that in the present conditions of shameful disorder no man possesses them, not even the ‘richest’ amongst us. For no man, however ' rich , individually) ■ can now escape the penalties of disorder. In town ana country alike, we cannot,'.Whatever our money incomes, avoid the allpervading ugliness, dirt, and disorder, and the diseases and ’discomforts that go with them.

“If once w© eed,t|ie wage’problem in its true light, , we kpoW that it, is in essence a matter of organising work to produce better results. Work' to' raise the- wage of a barmaid, .-andi she;is- go-much .better off, but still/ alas'! w-barmaid. Work to turn public-houses : into places of tare recreation, and the barmaid may gain much more than- a “better wage—viz., a good wage earned in an honorable occupation.

“So with the building laborer. By all means organise to raise his rate of ’pay. But do not forget to organise also to make his work The producer of beautiful homes.

“ Thus, too, with the engineer. Good it is to organise to raise his time or pieoo rate. But for heaven’s sake do something to ensure, that the work of his hands serves his fellows. • Otherwise his skill may merely give you another gun, another beer engine, or another £2,000 motor car.

“ And thus with the journalists and compositors. Good that they should be paid well, but better that their better pay should, feed _ tho public, not with trash, but with faithful news and honestly expressed opinion.

‘The making of.a good wage, in short, is the organisation of work to produce good things in the beat wav,”

ARBITRATION COURT.

When the court gets to work again it not be long before it can come to Dunedin, as .there is not a very long list to come before it in Auckland. There are a few compensation cases, and the followcases on the industrial side:—Applications’ for new awards: Huntly miners and others, _Thames miners, retail shop assistants, city cleaners, caretakers and liftmen, hairdressers’ assistants, Riveriicad paper workers, and Nihotupu dam workers. Applications to add parties: ironworkers’ laborers, contractors’ laborers, motor and horse drivers, and dairy employees. Application to strike out party: Furniture trades award. Applications to amend awards: Printers’ machinists, bookbinders and lithographers, electrical workers, sugar refinery employees’ award (two by employers), brick, potterv, and clay workers.