WAGES ON RELIEF WORKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20175, 8 February 1929, Page 10

WAGES ON RELIEF WORKS.

The question of wages on relief works has been so highly contentious that anyone imagining the new Government's decision to pay standard rates would settle it finally was truly optimistic. The first result was the difficulty faced by municipal authorities which had been proceeding on the basis of the relief rates, and using money provided by the State as subsidies in the process. Pressed to follow the lead of the Government a number plainly stated that they could not do it. They had their own obligations toward their ratepayers, by which their actions were circumscribed. The executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union has found another consequence which, if unforeseen, should not have been. Standard wages on relief works arc proving attractive to men in other employment, who arc changing over speedily, enjoying, it is reported, easier conditions under the Government's benevolence. Previous to this change of policy it had been laid down specifically that relief works must be regarded as what the name implies, a mere stopgap for the man who could not find an opening in the ordinary labour market. Nobody liked then, or likes now, the idea of paying less for labour than it would command supposing the employment available in the ordinary way had been sufficient lo absorb the man power offering. Yet the principle of arranging that men holding employment would not be tempted to abandon it for openings deliberately created to serve another purpose was sound, not in the light of what was pleasant, but of stern necessity. Relief work was, in fact, made the half loaf generally supposed to be better than no bread. This policy, laid down by Mr. Coates and maintained by him in the face of fierce attacks, has been reversed by Sir Joseph Ward. Some of the results predicted are already said to have accrued. One can only wonder what the further consequences will be after the alarm representative farmers have shown at what they themselves have observed.