STANDARD WAGES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22818, 27 August 1937, Page 13

STANDARD WAGES

EVIDENCE CONCLUDES PROFESSOR CROSS-EXAMINED. NO GROUNDS FOR CHANGE MORE FARMERS NEEDED The Arbitration Court: yesterday concluded its hearing of evidence to determine the standard wages for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled labour. Practically the whole morning was spent in tho cross-examination of Professor A. H. Tocker, dean of tho faculty of economics at Canterbury College, by Sir. J. Roberts, on behalf of the Federation of Labour. To-day the Court will hear submissions from the representatives of the parties, and In all probability the hearing will conclude at the luncheon adjournment. Mr. Justice O'Regan Is presiding, and associated with him are Mr. W. Cecil Prime, employers' member, and Mr. A. L. Monteith, employees' member. Representatives of employers are Mr. D. I. Macdonald, secretary of the Canterbury Employers' Association, Mr. M. R. O'Shea, general secretary of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation, and Mr. I. C. Howard, actingsecretary of the Auckland Employers' Association. Workers are represented by Mr. J. Roberts, of Wellington, on behalf of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, Mr. F. D. Cornwall, secretary of the organisation, and Mr. P. M. Butler, secretary of -the General Labourers' Union. Wages and Prices In answer to questions by Mr. Roberts, Professor Tocker said wages must be closely associated with the prices of the goods they produced. He could not say what those wages 6hould be. , Mr. Roberts: Supposing Toolev, Street merchants did not buy anything from New Zealand "for six months; do you think we would go without anything and starve? Professor Tocker: No. Is it not a fact that your theories are in support of two sections of the people—the moneyed landholder and the farmer land gamblers ?-r-That is not the fact. My theories are not in support of anyone. But didn't you advise the previous Government upon New Zealand trade, and go to London to advise Mr. Forbes? —I gave him some advice, yes. Cause of Recovery And look where he landed. —I. was not interested in any political party, but I was interested in the restoration of recovery in New Zealand. You may , associate me with the recovery,, if you : like. Mr. Roberts: Recovery was due to the fertility of the land and the industry of the people. We have nothing ■ to thank the professors for. i Professor Tocker was examined by t Mr. Roberts upon the trade returns in , his report, which was read to the Court on Wednesday, upon the incidence of unemployment, and upon the various * costs involved in manufacturing and i production generally. Asked specifically . whether sheep farmers had increased ; the number of hands since •wool prices increased, Professor Tocker replied, that he was unable to say. The total wages J paid was an important factor in production costs, but the most important other factor was interest. Rent, of I course, was of some importance. ' Payment and Skill s Mr. Roberts: Have you any opinion to 1 express as to whether wages should be 1 increased or reduced? —On the evidence as I know it, I can see no evidence that 3 would justify either an increase or a 3 decrease. i Mr. Justice O'Regan: I suppose you 3 will agree that wages in all occupations r must bear a proportion to each other. 7 You could not visualise a _ state of 1 society where wages would rise in one and not in all occupations? 7 Professor Tocker: Generally speaking, 1 the tendency is, largely, to rise and fall > in all occupations. 5 Wages in all occupations in a given 1 community or country bear a propor--1 tion to each other? —Yes, andvthat pro--3 portion generally corresponds with the degree of skill required. That is why wages in' so-called unskilled occupations are always low. You s say nothing in your report about farm--3 ing. I suggest we need more farmers. — 1 I am inclined to agree with that. The ; proportion of the people who are farmi nig has decreased considerably in tho : last 30 years. 5 Price of Land 5 One of the first methods of correcting i that evil would be a reduction in the p price of land ?—I think the price of land has reduced itself in the past few years. During the depression everything — wages, prices, interest —came down, out the value of the laud remained level.—■ In many instances there was no need to show a reduced land value, since the land had at that time no sale value, i Values in the Year Book were merely a basis for taxation. The valuations in the Year Book have not been altered for many years. His Honor: If justice were done, and . the Year Book told the truth, the value 1 of land should be reduced. > Noel Paton, managing director of the ; Gano Engineering Company, Limited, said he had been associated with engi- > neering for 48 years, 18 of which were spent in New Zealand. He said he did ' not think the average New Zealand I mechanic was more versatile than the average English mechanic. Witness' plant was as up-to-date as the majority ; of similar plants in other countries, especially in relation to work done on \ pistons. There was some degree of specialisation in the engineering industry in New Zealand, andvjin his shop [ there was one man who did the same sort of work almost all the time. Where there was justification, his firm would pay above the award. This concluded the evidence, and th® Court adjourned until this morning. .