WAR TIME WAGES.

Mt Benger Mail, 4 June 1919, Page 3

WAR TIME WAGES.

AVERAGE INCREASES 17* PER CENT. Towards the end of last year a special inquiry into war wages was made by the Government Statistician, and the results appear in the recent issue of the New Zealand Year Book. They show that in the occupations subject to awards and agreements increase granted during the war period averaged 17.55 per cent. Thirty-three trades are covered by the inquiry. The occuptions in which incresases of 20 per cent were noted are as follows : Shearers 37.50 Seamen 29.10 Waterside Workers 27.89 Grocers' Assistants 27.75 Woollen Mill Female Employees 27.22 Furniture Makers 21.93 Butchers, General Hands .... 20.90 Bakers 20.50 Electrical Workers 20.60 Engineers 20.45 Drivers 20.00 There has been a tendency towards higher increases in the lw-paid trades than in those occupations which were already well paid. High percentage increases are also shown in the industries necessary to carrying on the war. and in which conditions apparently prevailed which made it possible to pay larger increases 'than were possible in trades detrimentally effected; by the war. A valuable indication as to the position of unskilled labour during the war is furnished by returns of the earnings of unskilled labourers employed by local bodies. The labour shortage is also made evident, for they employ nearly 12,000 men in 1915, but came down to a pay-roll of 4,027 in the last year of the war. The increasing individual wage, which represents 21.G during the whole period, is shown in the following table of average annual earnings per employee : Year. £ s. d. 191 141 0 0 1916 151 0 0 1917 161 10 0 1918 ......... 17110 0