THE LIVING WAGE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 357, 17 February 1914, Page 5

THE LIVING WAGE.

JUDGE HEYDON’S BASIS. -

REQUIREMENTS OF A CIVILIS ED MAN. [taM ASSOCIATION—OOPriUGHT.]

■ ' Sydney, Feb. 16. Mr. Justice Heydon delivered judgment in the inquiry respecting the cost of living and the living * ( wage. After a lengthy review of the * of* rents and other factors which led to an increased cost of lining, he declared that a living wage must relate to. the humblest class of worker, and the standard must clearly be his. Otherwise tuere would be as many living wages as classes, whereas a living- wage is the lowest which any male adult I worker, not licensed as a slow ' worker, should receive, and is based not on the value of his work, but on his requirements as a man in a civil- ■ ised community which has resolved that, so far as the laws can do it, competition shall no longer be allowed to crush him into sweating conditions. - ‘Mr. Justice Heydon finds that a living wage for Sydney workers would be 48/- weekly for the average* man .with a family of four dependent upon him, as against £2 6/6 suggested by the secretary of the Labour Council.

' . 'WORKERS’ RIGHT. TO SHARE dFpROSPEROUS TIMES.

(Received 17,-12.30 p.m.) Sydney, Feb. 17. ! Judge Heydon’s report declares ’ that to make the lowest wage always th p living wage wpuld bd to debar the manual worker, who, in an . immense majority of cases, must remain - p -manual worker all his life, from any possible improvement of his position, as his wage might go np or ' ddwn, but only in strict agreement with increase or diminution of his expenses so that really, it would '‘al-: ’ ways be the same. This would not be fair, as he should, have his share 'in prosperous times, because he would bq still contributing the same towards the work of the ■ community, (therefore in good times he should gqt more than a living wage: | The living wage £2 8/- is based on, {a family o£four ? comprised of parrents and two children under the age. .of 14, ‘living in a house, of three:. > /coma for which rent of 12/- is' allowed. . . ”•"* 1 Children over 14, years of age are (assumed to be earning their own. . living and should not be provided for ’in the living wages. * I General experisetover and .above the : tent,_ food., arid groceries, are 1 estimated at 14/~‘weekly.. . The report reCbmmenas the lowest (wage for light labour should be 8/6, ordinary ’ labour 8/8, heavy labour 9/-. > ’ - |- The living wage should * rise' and (fall according to the general table iof the Commonwealth statistics as tovariation in the purchasing power of a sovereign;