HOURS AND WAGES

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4459, 19 October 1933, Page 4

HOURS AND WAGES

JAPANESE COMPETITION. “British industry in general contends that the basic explanation of the increase of Japanese exports at the expense of United Kingdom exports is the existing conditions of hours and wages in Japanese industry,” stated part of the case presented to the Tariff Commission at Wellington on behalf of the Silk Association of Great Britain and Ireland (Inc.). “Japanese competition, whether it be described as fair or unfair, or whether it involves subsidies or not, is only possible because of the conditions of longer hours and lower wages, which conditions are not tolerated in. the United Kingdom. The artificial silk industry of the United Kingdom if it set out to meet Japanese competition would have to pay its workers on an average not more than 10s per week of sixty hours. Any attempt by the artificial silk industry of the United Kingdom to bring about such conditions (even if it believed in the advisability of so dong, which it does not) would be a l-etrograde movement, to be denounced by employer and employee alike. “A possibility which must not be overlooked is that any reduction in wages of the United Kingdom operatives to meet Japanese competition would result in diminishing the purchasing power of United Kingdom Customers for New Zealand lamb, wool, and dairy produce.”