HIGH WAGES WITHOUT HUSTLING.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 March 1927, Page 6

HIGH WAGES WITHOUT HUSTLING.

AUSTRALIAN MISSION IN AMERICA. UNIONS CAN MAKE NO HEADWAY' (Received Friday, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 17. The Australian Mission is spending a busy week in Chicago, dividing into several parties, and investigating various industries and interviewing officials of the Federation of Labour, the Association of Commerce and tho Government Employment Bureau. The whole party visited the Crano Company's large valve and pipe factory, where they saw a remarkable example of mass-production in which 95 per cent, of those working are on piece-work and earning a bonus with no appearance of hustling. The company employs 8400, including 5 per cent, women. Piecework rates are set enabling them to earn a 25 per cent, extra bonus. Rates aro never cut, but can be increased. Machinists are earning up to 5s an hour, but the average of the whole works is 2s Bd. The working week is 48 hours with bonu.s additional. A section of the mission interviewed amongst others, Mr. Cohen, former president of the State of Illinois Federation of Labour. He was unable to estimate the number of unemployed in In addition to the Government there were 350 private empoJyment agents. No statistics were available for the whole operations, but the Government bureau statistics showed three to one applicants for every job during January were the worst figures since January 1922. The February' figures showed an improvement.

Unions are unable to make headway against the large corporations which a.r ( » "open shops." The workers are enjoying high wages if the employees give the works a stmare deal

and the unions are excluded. TllO only progress the Unions are making is among common labour.

Enumerating wages at Chicago Mr, Cohen wild bricklayers were' sometimes rrmkin/-; f2O weekly in busy seaborn, Iti'-ludbw overtime. <)vwuihi<«l labour in Chicago total* 250,000, \u<\un approximately 30 per coiit.. of the lofa! workers. HOW IjAISOIJK HANDICAP!? INDUSTRY. EFFECT OF FAMILY ENDOWMENT (Received Friday, 10.50 p.m.)-* . SIDNEY, March IS'. A conference of the two Houses has resumed discission on the basic wage and family endowment problems. Three schemes in oppoistion to the; Government's proposals are under consideration: first, that the basic wage --or.iain unchanged until June, when the Industrial Commissioner be asked to fix a new basic wage on the understanding it be supplemented bychild second, that theCommissioner fix the basic wago for a man and wife with endowment for the children of those whose salariesdonot exceed a certain amount; third, endowment of ehildren whose parents are in necessitous circumstances. The accountant for Morts Dock giving evidence before the LegislativeCouncil Committee, declared that there would be no alternative for thedock but to close if the Family Endowment scheme became law. The company is now making five per cent, profit: but with the Bill operating, it will be reduced to one per cent. The stoppage would mean idling over 1500 men.