MINIMUM WAGE.

Grey River Argus, 2 September 1927, Page 2

MINIMUM WAGE.

LABOUR BILL. TORY HOSTILITY. (Spcc'ial to Argus.) WELLINGTON, August 31. In moving the second reading of the minimum Wage Bill, Mr McCombs spoke on the principles underlying it. When Mr McCombs announced the figure arrived at, Mr D. Jones chimed in: “Is that all?” while Mr Rhodes could not resist a say: “It that how you reduce cost of living?” Nothing daunted by this sarcasm, in the early stages, Mr McCombs spoke for a full hour upon the general principles underlying the relation of work and wages, and he quoted at great length from books upon the subject, his expressed desire being to record the opinions of the world’s greatest experts. When asked how he was going to reconcile his views with the requirements of the small farmer, Mr McI Combs claimed, that the fundamental interests of the wage earner and the small farmer were identical. Business concerns were going slow, he said, not because the employer or worker willed it so, but because of a restricted demand for goods, and services. Henry Ford had said that country-wide high wages spell country-wide prosperity, and he (Mr McCombs) believed that the .wages of the worker .automatically determined the standard of living of the farmers. Mr Anderson Minister for Labour) described the Bill as a beautiful dream. He said it emphasised the futility of theory alone —a theory founded on books, but never applied. Mr McConbs:—“lt is, in part, in America! ’’ (Mr Anderson: “You ask for £5 a week! why not make it £10?” Mr McCombs:“ I had to make a commencement somewhere. ’ ’ Mr Anderson:” I know farmers who would leave their farms to-morrow if they could get a steady £5 week. So long as the Court is there, the worker, so far as the minimum wage is concerned, is well protected, but where are we going to get money for this?” Mr McCombs: “Increased production. ’ ’ Mr IT. E. Holland: “What do you moan—no money?” Mr Anderson: “I say it cannot be done. It is a beautiful dream, ami will never be enforced in this country.” Mr Holland said that those who received £3 per daily were frequently those to sneer at a proposal to raise the wage of the man who received less than £1 a day. Government members contributed frequent interjections to Labour’s speeches. Mr McLeod conceded that a family man on £4 a week was on the barest bread line. Mr Savage cut in: “Well, how does he get on when out of work?” Mr McLeod:— “I have not yet heard a sensible suggestion for . a permanent remedy of the position. It will not be effected by increasing wages ’ ’. Mr Holland: “Is it sound then to suggest reduct'd wages?”