THE LABOURER AND HIS FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13399, 30 January 1907, Page 7

THE LABOURER AND HIS FIRE.

MINIMUM WAGE FIXED.

[l!Y TKLEORAPU. — OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Tuesday. Labourers and their wages formed the subject of some discussion at the meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council last, evening. In connection with the, petition presented to the Mayor and Council at the last meeting as to the rate of wages paid by the surrounding boroughs, the engineer said he found that in I'etone the men received pay at the rate of Is Id per hour, wet or dry. In Wellington sonic receive 9s per day and some- 8-, and in Karori maintenance men are paid 9s per day and casuals Bs. In all cases who'c contract work exists lie found 9s per day to bo the ruling wage, except in one instance, where the wage is 8s 8d per day. If the Council saw fit to make a maximum wage for casuals lie asked that the power of giving the full amount or otherwise bo left in his hands, and that the wage l»c at so much per hour.

The Mayor (Mr. T. W. McDonald) said ho agreed with the report, while Councillor Ward said there were men on the Council's pay books to whom he would not pay 8s per day.

The Mayor said that no man should get less than a living wage, and he would pay no man less than 8s per day. lie moved that the maximum wage to be paid should be 9s per day, and the minimum Bs.

This was seconded by Councillor Baldwin, supported by Councillor Clark, and carried after some discussion.