THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1908. WAGES AND EFFICIENCY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13709, 27 March 1908, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1908. WAGES AND EFFICIENCY.

The Prime Minister placed his finger upon the weak spot in the industrial arbitration system, as it has become established in the. Dominion/ when he proposed, at Onehunga, to attempt to do away with the "dead level" resulting from Arbitration Court awards. He suggested that both the Government and Parliament should carefully and thoughtfully consider whether some system could not be established,' in connection with the awards, which "would give an incentive to those who were prepared to work harder or more scientifically tharf" their fellows, and give them the increased benefit that their individual exertion deserved." With this suggestion every thoughtful citizen must necessarily be in most cordial and sympathetic agreement and will join in thanking Sir Joseph Ward for the lead he lias given and in supporting any practical step which he may take towards a most just and equitable aim. High wages are good --when the equivalent of efficient labour is given in return ; and it is incomparably better to pay the highest wage for the best industrial service than the lowest wage for the poorest. The main difficulty with the present arbitration system is the main difficulty with the unionism of which it is an admitted development and with which it is inseparably associated : that it places the efficient and the inefficient upon the same plane, thus not merely taxing the more capable on behalf of the less capable, but introducing into industry the deadweight of absence of motive for a steady increase of efficiency. Whether it is possible 1 o eliminate this crushing handicap

from unionism as it is ordinarily understood we need not now consider, for it certainly ought cot to be insuperably difficult to eliminate it from' the methods' under which men work who are protected and supported by industrial law. Under old-world conditions the problem is affected by an undesirable factor, which must, counteract to some extent the discouraging influence of a wage common to all workers of any particular class. There ig almost always a greater or lesser percentage, of unemployed in every trade and calling,, which naturally acts as an incentive to those who,desire to remain at work. But we should deeply regret any such unhappy condition of our colonial labour market, although it is evident that if the dead-level wage is continued long enough it must inevitably result in, an ultimate contraction (if industry with the consequent appearance of unemployed. What we should all desire to maintain is such a state of prosperity that there will be constant employment .for every willing worker, whatever 'his capacity; a doubtful incentive should not be found in the unwholesome and demoralising fear of becoming .unemployed and destitute, but a true incentive should be obtained in the healthy and ennobling knowledge that the, better one works the better one will be paid. . Nop does better work necessarily or even usually mean harder work in any of those ' innumerable occupationswherein skill enters, and there, are very few to which it does not enter. Carefulness, application, - intelligent use of tools and hands, patient observance of multitudinous technicali- ; ties which are individually of small I account but collectively make all ' the enormous 'difference between the i skilled and the unskilled, count far i'more, in modern industrialism than | the* putting forth, of mere brute I strength.' A tradesman who is master of his craft and proud of -''his craft, who realises that he is part of an "organisation fighting ah industrial battle, and that it is his duty arid his interest, and that it may | become his pleasure, to, do his, utmost to win a battle of which he shares the "fruit, is the man who isI wanted and wanted badly in New ! Zealand, as all >over the world. ! Under the " dead-level" wage sysi tern we cannot get him, for the ! obvious reason that he is discouraged and not encouraged, getting the same pay however he works so long as he escapes being classed;?as"incompetent." . Employers can .easily, pay the highest possible wages -in New Zealand if their worken will become the most*highly efficient;, and can da ,so without any ill-will, but with an' ungrudging willingness,and cordiality. If a system can be inaugurated which will lead to this result, employers and employed, and all-, who. have any interest in the. national prosperity will have good cause to be grateful to Sir Joseph Ward.