WAGE INCREASES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10086, 27 September 1918, Page 5

WAGE INCREASES

STATISTICIAN’S FIGURES

CONTESTED BY TRADE UNION OFFICIALS.

Tho figures published on the authority of the Government Statistician setting out increases‘in wages and wage rates in a number of occupations since the beginning of the war have met with a mixed reception from trades unions. Severe criticism has been levelled by some trades unions, who claim -that the figures -are inaccurateEven as they arc set forth, workers generally state that the figures show conclusively that, even with the Increases credited to them, they are \vorso off than tho bogimling of the war. This, of course, is due to the high cost of living. The secretary of the Storemen s Union (Mr A. L. Monteith) gave his point of view to a “New Zealand Times” reporter yesterday, and severely criticised the ‘ manner in which the StatiStibiali'arrived at'llis ’estimate. In. stead of being an increase in wages of 23.7 per cent., Mr Monteith claims that on the court awards the increase for storemen has been only 10 per cent. Where the courts have made no awards the increases have been Hi per cent. “What the Government Statistician has done,” said Mr Monteith, “is to take the wholesale storemen s award in Wellington at £2 10s, and then take the . Wellington wool storemen’s agreement,, which was £3 6s 6d, and to show the increase between the two. This is not a fair comparison, because it is between different wages and different conditions.” Mr Monteith quoted figures in support of his criticism. Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin soft goods storemen received, ill 1914, £2 10s a week, and "in 1918 £2 Tss." Wellington wholesale'' mef chants* ’ storemen received; in 1912, £2 ! 10s, and to-day receive £2 15s; the casuals received Is lid per hour in 1912, and Is 3d to-day. Wellington wool storemen received, in 1912, £3, and to-day £3 5s 6d, and casuals Is 5d £nd Is 7d per hour respectively. Auckland wool storemen were receiving £3 a week in 1914, and to-day receive £3 3s 6d and £3 5s 6d, casnals receiving Is 3id and Is 6Jd respectively. Auckland wholesale merchants’ storemen received, in 1914, £2 12s 6d, and £3 Os 6d in 1918, casuals receiving Is lid and Is 4jd respectively. Napier wool storemen were paid £2 12s 6d in 1914 and £3 5s now, casuals getting Is ,3d and Is 7d. Invercargill mercantile storemen were receiving £2 12s 6d in 1912 and £2 16s to-day. Mr Monteith said it was most unfair for the ; Government Statistician to make comparisons with faulty data to the detriment of his union as they were about to go to’ the court for a new award. The Government Statistician would be well advised in future to consult trade unions before quoting such figures. THE DISPUTED FIGURES. , The statement by Hr Fraser sets out in creases,in wages, and wage rates in a number of occupations since the beginning of the war. " Mr Fraser says that an inspection .of Arbitration Court awards and registered industrial agreements shows the following, percentage increases of wages in a number of trades and industrial occupations from July, 1914, to July, 1918: , Wages . Percentage Occupations of increase Aerated water workers 4.3 Bakers 26.2 Bootmakers, female 14.5 Bootmakers, male 12.5 Brewery employees 16.7 Bricklayers 19-4 Butchers, general hands 17.6 Butchers', shopmen i: A 7.7 ■ Carpenters 11.0 Coachbuilders 11.6 Coal-miners 18.0 Drivers 20.0 Electrical workers 21.2 . Engineers. 21.0 - FellmongerS— - 24.0 Flourmill workers 14.8 Freezing workers 10.3 Furniture makers 20.0 Grocers’ assistants 35.4 General labourers 13.2 Painters ••••• 9.0 Plasterers h... 18.1 Plumhersi., 11.1 Printing..machinists 7.7 Seamen 27.4 Shearers 37.5 Slaughtermen 9.0 Storemen 23.7 .Tailoresses 10.0 • Timber workers '.A. 20.0 Waterside" workers" 25.0 Woollen workers, male .... 24.4 Woollen: workers, female” 28.0 In each case the increases paid as war bonus have been included. The greater increases have been granted in the essential industries rather than in trades detrimentally affected by the war.