WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1931, Page 7

WELLINGTON NEWS

FIGURES AND FACTS, (Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, March 21. The oversea* trade returns of the Dominion , compiled by the Customs Department are now available and, at the present juncture, they are both interesting and instructive. The figures cover the two months January and February and these show that the exports for those two months amounted to £7.03d,202 as compared with £12.002,689 for the corresponding two months of 1930, a shrinkage of £4,967.487 equal to over 41% wind] is positively alarming. The imports for the two months aggregated £5.408,583 against £8,158,850, a decrease of £2,750,267 or under 34 per cent. Both exports and imports have declined, the former more steeply than the latter. The imports are paid for by the exports, for international trade is in the main a matter of barter. If w e deduct the imports for the two inonth s from the exports there is a balance of exports over imports of £1.626,619, and this is known as the balance of trade, and as far as we are concerned, if, is a favourable balance. But this is riot all that there is to it for there

is the interest to be paid on the debt of the State held outside of the Dominion, also on municipal and other local bodies debt; then there are the remittances for freight and insurance and other invisible imports. Taken all together, these payments could not be less than £BOO,OOO per month or £I,GOO,OOf> for the two months, and when this is deducted from the trade balance shown above, (hero is left the pa)try sum of £26,619 which is the nation’s income for the two months, Last year, making th« same deductions, the income wd« £2,' 243,839. What would the ordinary trader or ordinary individual do if bis income showed a relatiW’lv (least 1 1 decline? Surely lie would explore every avenue to reduce costs and expenses, including bis own living expenses and. if an employer of labour, ho would if lie were free, reduce salaries and wages, or perhaps employ less labour or both.

In private businesses ibis Ts being done and the “cut” in wages lias not stopped at 10 per cent, but, in some cases, lias been as much as 15 and 20 per cent. The State is no more immune from the operations of economic laws than are private traders, and I a l'ecession in the State’s income must he met by economies and adjustments of expenditures. The Civil Service has secured a doughy champion in Sir Francis Bed, but Sir Francis does not suggest that economies must not be made, he insists that the Civil Servants should he spared the “cut” and whatever money is required should be made good by taxing the food of an already impoverished people, Ho suggests a tax on tea and sugar which, if imposed, would increase the cost of living for tea and sugar are necessaries and the tax will fall hi'a viest oil the poorest and those leam. able to bear it. Sir Francis 801 l from his eminent position in the political life of the country, will always have close attention for anything he may say, but on this occasion, ids arguments appear to he faulty. If the Civil Servants were in the employ of others and not tfhj State, they would receive the same treatment of wage reduction as hundreds of clerks, typists, and others have had to submit to.

It must not be forgotten that in sun nni] rain, holiday or other day, well or sick (provided sickness is not unreasonably long) the Civil Servant’s pay is sure and certain, arid he can ultimately look to retiring on superannuation. There are thousands outside of the Civil Service who would readily submit to the “cut” for the sake of the other advantages. The workers sheltering behind the awards of the Arbitration Court are alleegd to he in a state of unrest because the Government proposes to allow the Court to look behind the shelter it has provided and discover how many are loafing on the game and living on the awards, Mr T. 0. Bishop who appeared for the Coastal Shipping Companies In the dispute between the Cooks and Stewards Union and the Employers in the Arbitration Court, stated that assist-

ant stewards were receiving from £'2o! to £4OO in an extreme ease, and cooks and stewards were drawing £275, £375 up to £531 per annum, and in addition, they are housed and fed while on the vessels. The Dominion was never able to stand up to there wages at any time, much less can it do so now. and that those wages were sanctioned by the Court, rather proves the inefficiency and economic waste of the Court.