LEVEL OF WAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20779, 23 January 1931, Page 13

LEVEL OF WAGES.

GENERAL REDUCTION URGED. OPINION OF COUNTY COUNCILS. [BY TEI.EGRAPU. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WHAKATANE. Thursday. A conference of tho Bay of Plenty County Councils was held at Whakatane to-day. The Tauranga, Opotiki and Whakatane Councils were represented. Mr. \Y. Reid, of Opotiki, presided. Mr. Sinclair (Tauranga) stated that the object of the conference was to endeavour to reach unanimity in regard to wages paid to local body employees. He considered the Government should have given a lead, but as it had not done so, the local bodies were justified in taking some action.

Other arguments were that members of staffs receiving hjgh salaries could better stand a cut in wages than labourers, and that pressure should be brought, to bear on tho Government to reduce the standard of wages on relief work from 14s to 10s per day. Mr. Reid contended that instead of subsidising employees, the Government should subsidise employers, so that industry could be extended and so absorb permanently the unemployed. He suggested that the Counties Association should be asked to use its influence to have Arbitration Court awards amended in the direction of reducing the standard of wages. Mr. Sinclair moved: (11 That this conference urgently recommend that the Government immediately reduce all honoraria, salaries, and wages; (2) that the Government should give a lead to local bodies by reducing tho remuneration of all Government officials; (3) that a substantially smaller sum should be paid to relief workers than tho regular standard rate of wages fixe.d; (4) that tho Arbitration Act be reconstructed to meet tho times. The motion was carried.

POSITION OF HERD TESTERS

NO PRESENT ALTERATION

BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] OPOTIKI, Thursday.

At a meeting of the Opotiki Herd testing Association held to-day the question whether testers' wages should be reduced was brought up, but it was decided that as the men were engaged for the season no question of a reduction would be considered this season, although it might arise before tho new season s engagements were made.