HIGH WAGES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 11 January 1944, Page 3

HIGH WAGES

WORK FOR AMERICANS CHARGE ON DOMINION The high weekly wages obtained by New Zealand skilled and unskilled labour, and often by girls newly entering offices, through “working for the Americans” are, in fact, paid by the New Zealand Government. Thus, instead of being the bounty of a wealthy “Uncle i Sam,” the payments have had the ef- j feet of raising New Zealand war costs and are a burden on all classes of the community (says the “N.Z. Herald”). That the charges come back on New i Zealand through reverse lend-lease is made plain in a reprint of a speech by j the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, which has just been issued. Mr j Nash stated that there were a number of New Zealanders employed by the United States authorities, particularly in connection with the loading and un- | loading of ships and their wages were paid by the United States “We reimburse that country under the lendlease principle,” said the Minister. “That means that the charge for the services of our citizens is borne by us.” EFFECTS ON INDUSTRIES For many months there has been a drift to employment with the United | States authorities on wharves and in stores to the detriment of regular New Zealand industries. The position has been particularly serious in Auckland and employers have been disturbed by the effects of wages with which they cannot hope to compete. A number of businesses have suffered loss of production through absenteeism resulting from a desire on the part of their employees to share in the high wages offering. The position became so serious that late last year a conference was held in Auckland to discuss the rates paid by the Americans to New Zealand civilians and a report was prepared for the Government. No official statement regarding the recommendations of the conference hc.s been made and high wages are still going into the pockets of many Aucklanders in the pay of the Americans. WAGES UP TO £25 A WEEK Well over 100 civilians are employed b; the American Transport Service and the United States Joint Purchasing Board in capacities varying from janitors to executives. The wages range from £8 a week to £25. A number of female employees, such as typists, receive about £6 a week and many drivers employed at overtime rates at night receive weekly payments which are only dreamed of by their counterparts in New Zealand industries. Some of the drivers own their trucks and are paid accordingly. Waterside workers employed by the Americans receive a shilling an hour above their usual rate, which alone has been looked on with envy by many other workers. They waive certain extras and have also contracted to work in the rain. There are also tally clerks and timekeepers employed by the American authorities on the w'aterfront and permanent staffs of labourers and storemen in stores at several places outside the city area. Some of these men, working at overtime rates, have drawn very high wages month after month. COMMENT BY CORRESPONDENT Apart from the occupation directly connected with the loading and un loading of ships, the American armed services in Auckland employ many women as typists, clerks, receptionists and drivers. Civilians are also employed at American hospitals and rest homes. A correspondent to the “Herald” points out that the Government has done nothing to correct the anomaly of excessive w r age rates which have seriously disturbed the country’s internal economy and caused so much discontent among people who are not “working for the Americans.” He also refers to a “lack of foresight on the part of those responsible for the operation of the lend-lease principle which permitted the United States authorities to establish an extravagant scale of wages, especially for unskilled and inexperienced labour.”