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New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22401, 23 April 1936, Page 13

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THE WORKER'S SHARE CLAIMS BY MINISTER OLD METHODS CRITICISED BASIC WAGE PROVISION [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Criticism of the methods employed by the last Government to combat the economic depression was voiced by the Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, in moving the second reading of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives to-night. "The Government brings this measure forward as one of the measures calculated to assist in restoring prosperity to New Zealand," said the Minister. "It changes somewhat tho outlook as far as the principles of arbitration are concerned, for it is an honest attempt to introduce a real system, instead of the mockery we have had to put up with during the past few years. In the past we have been accustomed to seeing the workers fighting on every occasion, while all the employers had to do was to show where the workers' claims were unreasonable. Under this bill, unless the employer can show good cause to the Arbitration Court why the principles embodied in the bill should not apply to any particular industry, they will automatically apply." "Age of Superabundance"

The bill would give the workers a larger share of what they produced than they had received in the past, continued the Minister. New Zealand was at present capable of producing more than double the requirements of the population, yet it was questionable whether there had ever been a time in the history of the .Dominion when the workers received a smaller share of that which they produced. "This is an age of superabundance as far as our country is concerned," said Mr. Armstrong, "and whatever may have caused bad times in other parts of the world there is no excuse for economic distress here. The depression was not brought about by causes over which we have no control. It was man-made, and the maladministration of past Governments was mainly responsible for the difficult period through which the Dominion has recently passed." Wage-Reduction Policy

There was no justification, the Minister continued, for the wage-reduction policy of the last Government or for robbing the workers of many of tho conditions of employment they enjoyed in the past. "This bill gives a direction to the Court, taking into consideration the condition of the industry concerned, to fix a basic wage for male and- female workers," the Minister said. "In the case of male workers the Court shall consider what shall be a sufficient wage to keep a man, his wife and three children in a reasonable state of comfort. When the Court has declared that wage, that will be a figure below which the Arbitration Court must not reduce the wages of any man in this country." SHORTER WORKING WEEK EXTRA COST TO STATE ESTIMATE BY MR. WRIGHT [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday ' The increase in the wages and salary bill of tho Public Service, due to the application of the 40-hour week to Government departments, was estimated at £300,000 a year by Mr. It. A. Wright (Independent—Wellington Suburbs) during the second reading debate 011 the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives to-night. The money, he said, would have to be raised by increased costs, such as higher postal charges and railway fares, or by increased taxation. Mr. Wright said ho had always stood for compulsory arbitration. At the same time, he did not agree with all that was in the bill. He believed in the shortening of hours. However, he would have preferred to have seen it left to tho Arbitration Court to fix tho hours of labour in any particular industry. The bill made it almost mandatory for the Court to adopt the 40hour policy. In practice the Court would not exercise very much discretion unless it could be shown an industry would be ruined by the introduction of a 40-hotir week. There was no doubt tho shortening of hours would lead to higher living costs.