LABOUR AND WAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17932, 7 November 1921, Page 9

LABOUR AND WAGES.

REDUCTION JN N.S. WALES. OPPOSED BY. GOVERNMENT. STRONG CRITICISM AROUSED. [from ouu own connEsroNPENT.] SYDNEY, Oct. 25. : Tho Now South Wales Labour Government has been subjected to strong attacks 1 by tho press during tho past week on 1 account of a disposition which it has shown to honour only those findings of its industrial tribunals which increase the ' wages or reduce the hours of workers. ' Last week it was faced by a declaration ' by tho Board of Trade' reducing th«s general basio wago from £4 5s to £4 2s per week, tho reason for this being statistical ovidenco of a reduction in the cost of living in UlO same ratio. About the same timo another tribunal charged with the responsibility of hearing 'claims for shorter working hours refused to apply tho 44-hour week to tho railways, on tho ground that tho cost would bo prohibitive, and would lead to an increase in tho cost of Jiving. All decisions by these Courts in tho opposite direction havo been given immediate effect to by the Government, but in these two instances etops havo been taken to sccuro : reversal. i'ho basic wago decision lias been referred buck to tho Court because the Government, in the words of the Premier, is very anxious to do everything possible to protect tho man on tho bottom rung. At a moment when unemployment is 1111- . prcccdonted and industries aro closing owing to tho wide application of tho 44hour week and high wages, making it im- ' possible to compete with other countries ' and manufacturers abroad, tho press and employers generally condemn such action an boing economically unsound and contrary to law and justice. "Tho Labour Administration," says tho Sydney Sun, "has definitely lost ground. ! It has committed a politically dishonest ; act, and no lovcrnmont which lends itself , to dishonesty, once that dishonesty is ' widely recognised, can bopo to retain tho . confidence of tho people" In regard to tho railways, the Minister '. for Labour, Mr. McGirr, declares that ho , will refer tho matter back to tho Court [ for further evidence, and if this has not tho desired effect ho will move the Cabinet | to act independently of tho Court and of tho Railway Commissioners. j This week there comes yet another docision of the Board of Trade which, probably for the first time in the history of ] any country, fixes a basio wago for rural j industries. Hitherto farm hands have not , been affected by a basic wage, and in , successivo inquiries the board has do- ( clincd to make anv declaration for them j because of tho depressed state of tho in- ] dustries through drought and falling mar- 1 kets. These conditions, tho board con- 1 tends, no longer exist in a sufficient degree 1 to justify them in further delaying to give effect to tho will of tho Legislature in the matter. The majority report of tho board, which fixes a rate of £3 6s , weekly, subject to cortain deductions for residence and board, admits that there ' rnaiy bo foundation for the contention that no universal wago can bo success- . fully applied to primary industries, but asserts that thus is a matter for the Legislature. Representative men of the dairying, graeing, and wheat-crowing industries declare that the inevitable effect of the declaration will be increased unemployment and less production.