RAILWAYMEN’S DEMAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 August 1940, Page 5

RAILWAYMEN’S DEMAND

MORATORIUM AND TAXATION. ■ ■■ ' ' A moratorium covering overseas debts for the duration of the war, the removal of any additional taxation on railwaymen, , and a protest against the national security tax are among the proposals approved at a mass meeting of railwaymen’s organisations in Christchurch. Another resolution carried favoured the removal of all taxes from superannuitants receiving £3 a week or less. The full text of the resolutions follows:— 1. “That children’s allowances should be paid in the case of all children under ”16 years and dependent upon same to be determined upon net wages.” 2. “To assist in keeping down prices, official price lists .should be placed in conspicuous places in all stores showing prices as fixed by the tribunal, meat prices to be so fixed as to prevent purveyors of meat charging first grade prices for second and third grade meat, as at present.” 3. “We unanimously enter a protest against the imposition of the national security tax upon the shoulders of the lower-paid workers in particular, and are of the opinion that no such tax should have been implemented until such time as the conscription of wealth had been given effect to in its entirety.” 4. “Further, we consider the time has arrived for the removal of all taxes from the superannuitant in receipt of £3 a week or less, and for a moatorium covering overseas debts for the duration and six months thereafter.” * 5. “We urge upon the Government the necessity for curtailing the excessive overhead costs reflected in the high cost of living, i.e., advertising, agents, travellers, etc.; all of whom produce nothing, but greatly increasecosts, which are passed on to the consumer.”

6. ‘Finally, we consider that no additional tax should be placed on railwaymen until the tribunal, set up to consider conditions, etc., has effected the improvements 'desired by all sections, endeavouring to place railwaymen upon their proper looting industrially.” LABOURERS’ UNION PROTEST NAPIER, August 16. The following resolutions were adopted at a meeting of the Wellington General Labourers’ Union held in Napier:— “That this meeting of Napier members emphatically protests against the 5 per cent, increase in wages awarded by the Court of Arbitration on the grounds that it is totally inadequate to meet the 10 per cent.-increase in the cost of living, proved to be correct by figures supplied by the Government Statistician, and in order further to alleviate the position we request the Government to take immediate steps to stabilise prices.” “That we strongly resent the demands of various local bodies, chambers of commence and employers’ associations in calling for a repeal of the 40-hour week, and we consider they should put the same amount of energy into attempting to re-absorb the unemployed of New Zealand into Industry.” “That we request all sustenance and pension rates be increased 10 per cent, to meet the increased cost of living. “We consider that instead of protesting against the.s. per cent increase in wages, the various local bodies, chambers of commerce, and leaders of the Farmers’ Union would be better employed in protesting against the paying of £1350 a year each lo the two Opposition members of the War Cabinet without portfolio.”