SQUEEZED OUT

Evening Star, Issue 22989, 21 June 1938, Page 8

SQUEEZED OUT

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES DOOMED GOVERNMENT POLICY INDICTED [Peu United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, June 21. The New Zealand Manufacturers’ Association, in a statement, says that Mr Oomwell, secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, has made it plain to everyone that our manufacturing industries are being slowly but surely squeezed out of existence. Mr Cornwell pointed out that judges of the Arbitration Court had stated repeatedly that an industry that could not pay a living wage did not deserve any consideration. He pointed out also that the court said that the matter of tariffs was one for Legislature and not for the court. “ The court goes steadily on with the practice of increasing costs, the Government goes steadily on with the practice of ignoring the consequences of increases, and the manufacturing industries are being crucified upon the cross of political expediency. Under these circumstances every sentence in an award means in the final issue a hundred workers out of a job. “ In regard to the doctrine that an industry that cannot pay a living wage does not deserve any consideration, w© must point out that industries which paid their way for many years cannot do so to-day, and through no fault of their own, but as the result of_ the costraising burdens imposed by industrial legislation. They are therefore to be considered in the eyes of the Arbitration Court as unworthy of existing. In these industries empty benches and idle machines are a tragic sight. “ Mr Cornwell refers to the living wage. What foundation has he for the statement that the scale prior to the new award was not a living wage? Can he tell us what relationship any of these recent awards had to the living wage? The scale for a living wage relates to a man, ‘his wife, and three children. The awards prescribe wages for adult males and females irrespective of condition.

Is organised Labour out to get the maximum regardless of the ability of industry to pay? If so it should state it frankly and openly. On the 1926-30 base, 1,000, the latest ‘Abstract of Statistics ’ gave the price index retail for March as 942 and the wage rate index for adult males as 1,063. “ Meantime the Arbitration Court is just as active in its work as the Government is inactive in its duties and obligations to the producing industries of the Dominion, “ Accordingly, every industry subject to overseas competition must look forward to qualifying sooner or later for the category of industries which cannot pay a living wage. When that time comes fer each of them it will not deserve any consideration. As in all such situations, it is the- public which will be the sufferer and will bear the burden. A country with its producing industries destroyed Is a country doomed to destruction.”