BONUS REDUCTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11222, 30 May 1922, Page 4

BONUS REDUCTION

THE NORTHERN VIEW AMITY BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES. MR P. HALLY INTERVIEWED* Mr P. Hally, who hag recently been ' acting n«» Conciliation Commissioner in the northern industrial district, was interviewed by a ‘'Times’ 1 representative yesterday anO asked to expre.sa some views concerning industrial matters generally. Mr Hally stated that he returned from the Auckland district last week, where he had been temporarily engaged in connection with the settlement of a number of industrial disputes. He found that tho feeling prevailing amongst a large section of the workers in that district in respect to the reduction of the bonus was that it was only to be expccteO. “Ono section (he said) Lad apparently weighed the matter up very carefully. and the conclusion arrived at was that the oe reduction in their weekly wages was compensated for by the retraced cost in many of tho actual necessities of life. This opinion was. I might say, subscribed to for the most part by those who were married, and who probably would have a more intimate knowledge of the cost of running a household than those who were single. By the latter section tho reduction war* not looked upon with so much philosophy. For. as they said, The rates now charged for board and lodging are much the same a? they were two years ago.’ The item of house rent was, I found, a source of very great discontent.” NO CAfSE FOR ANXIETY. “No!” added Mr Hally, in reply tA a question, “I do not think that there will be any trouble with the workers on account of the court’s pronouncement. If the grooer, the butcher, the baker, and other tradespeople, including the landlord, will attempt to reflect the reducing costs in their retail prices and rent rates, then there should be no cause for anxiety, “The relationship between the employers and the workers in Auckland was really good. I was interested in the hearing of a number ol industrial cases, before and after the court had made its decision regarding the bonus. The parties did not appear to have much difficulty in 4 coming to an understanding with each other, and only in one case wa* the court asked to adjust the differ encea between them. COURT NOT A FAILURE. “Yes ; I have noticed that certain opinions have been expressed in the press as to the failure of the Arbitration Court, but I do not hold with them; the court has done good work in the past. If there should exist any anyone’s mind as to truthfulness of this statement, let him ask any of the old-time tradesmen or labourers what it has done for them since 1894. I have no doubt myself as to the nature _ of the answer; and, now that times have changed, and a period of depression is upon us, my candid opinion is that the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act will f continue to bo one of the most beneficial enactments ever placed on the statute book of New Zealand so far as the workers are concerned. As to the court itself. I have every confidence in it* being able to meet present-day difficulties in just as equitable a manner as it met those of the past, when circumstances were perhaps more favourable. “Adverse criticism? Yes, there has been some, but I do not blame the court. ‘Hot air’ in placing a case before it was not of much service m the old dava, and that class of argument is absolutely of no value today.” _