COST OF LIVING

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11654, 19 October 1923, Page 2

COST OF LIVING

IMPORTANT STATEMENT COALMINE WORKERS AND STANDARD RATES. SLIGHT INCREASES ORDERED. An important pronouncement was made ip a n order issued yesterday by the Arbitration Court in the matters of the Industrial. Conciliation, and Arbitration Act, 19HS, and its amendments, and ot all 'coalminers awards and industrial agreements now in force in the Dominion The districts in question were the Northern. Westland, Ca'nterburv, and Otago, and Southland industrial districts. The cost-of-living legislation. from which the court derived its authority to make periodical revisions oi the. rates of remuneration, expires on December list. 1923. and accordingly the rates now fixed in the following order will continue unchanged tor the remainder of the inrreney of the respective awards and industrial agreements, unless tho parties agrea to any further amendment. THE ORDER IN DETAIL.

The order in question was;— “Whereas, pursuant to a special pro vision contained in each, of tho said awards and industrial agreement-, power is reserved to the court, ot its own motion and by general order, to increase or diminish the excess rates of remuneration fixed and defined by the said awards and industrial agreements over the standard rates as from May Ist and November Ist, commencing on May Ist, 1922, in. the ratio between (a) the percentage of the increase in the retail prices of food for the preceding March or September respective!v over the retail prices of food current in July. 1914, as shown by the Government Statistician's returns of the three food groups combined, and (b) the percentage of the Increase (37.76) in the retail prices of food shown in the return fo: January. 1929. over the retail prices of food current in July. 1914. “And whereas it is further provided in the said awards and industrial agreements that in calculating the increases or decreases of time rates the calculation shall be marie to the nearest penny, and in tile enfie of piecework rates to the nearest farthing. And whereas the ascertained percentage of increase in the retail prices of food curreut in the month of July, 1914. is 4-4.77. “In pursuance of the special provisions of awards and industrial agreements tho court ordered:— RATES OF REMUNERATION. G) That the excess rates of remuneration over above the standard rates ns fixed and defined bv each of the said awards and industrial agreements shall be diminished in the ratio which 57.76 bears to 44.77. (2) That this order shall operate and tako effect as from November Ist, 1923, and shall continue, in force during tho currency of each respective award and industrial agreement, or until such time as the court shall otherwise order. (3) That in the case of awards *nd industrial agreements in which the original percentage is fixed at less than 57.7 G the ratio stated in clause 1 hereof shall be varied accordingly. (4) That this order shall be deemed to be incorporated in and foun part ot' each of the said awards and indu.-riria! agreements respectively as from November Ist, 1923. JUDGE'S MEMORANDUM BRICE STATISTICS FOR FOOD. VARIATION OF RATES. “This order is made in accordance with the provisions of the clause headed ‘variation of rates’ appearing in the riofierent coal mines awards and industrial agreements/’ «aid Mr Justice Frazer, in a memorandum attached to Ihe above order. “The rates fixed by the awards and industrial agreements are, in the ease of time rates, 60 per cent, above the rates payable in 1914, and in the case of piecework rates 5 Oper cent, above the 1914 rates. The increases of 60 per cent, and 50 per cent, were adopted from the national agreement made in February, 1920, which provided for these increased on the basis of the price statistics for food for the month of January, 1920, which then showeda n increase of 57.76 per cent, over tho prices ruling in July, 1914. The court accordingly decided to base subsequent six-monthly increases and reductions of rates on the percentage of increase or decrease disclosed by the Government statistician's returns of food prices for the months of March and September in each year. Tho 57.76 per cent, increase of January, 1920, was represented by nti increase of 41.21 per cent, in March, 1922; 39.44 per cent, in September, 1922; 41.31 per cent, in March, 1923; and 44.77 per cent, in September, 1923. The variations in tho rates of remuneration payable to coal miners do not coincide with the, variations in tho rates of remuneration of other workers, whose cost of living adjustments are based on the all groups ytatisxics.”

'The effect of the present order would be to increase iheir rates by a somewhat greater percentage than was the case under the last order of April 9th, 1923. The standard rates wove equivalent to 100-160ths of the time rates, and 100-150ths of the piecework ratow set out in the awards and industrial agreements. The present increase, as in the case of the former reductions, applied only to the remaining €O-I6oths and 50-ts9ths respectively. J3y way of illustration, tho court gave two examples of the effect of this order on time and piece rate.*.— (a.) A time rate of IGs is made up of 10s standard rato and 6s excess rate. The order of April 24th, 1922, reduced the 6s in the ratio of 57.76 to 41.21, that \b to 4s 3d; making ihe total rate 14s 3d. The order of October 7th, 1922. reduced the 6s in the ratio of 57.76 to 39.44. that is to 4s Id; making the total rate 14s Id. The order of April 9th, 1923, reduced the Cs in the ratio of 57.76 tn 41.31, that is to 4s fid; making the total rate 14s 3d. The present order reduces the Cs in the ratio of 57.76 to 44.77, that is to 4.s £kl; making the total rate 14s 9d, or 5d more than the present: rato. (b> A piecework rato of 7s <kl is made Up of 5s standard rate and 2s 6d excess rate. The order of April 24th, 1922, roduced the 2s Gd in the ratio of 57.76 to 41.2.1, that i.s to Is 9-1(1; making tho total rate 6s .Old. 'The order of October 7lh, 1922, reduced the 2s Gd in the ratio of 57.76 to 33.44. that is to Is 8)d; making the total rate Gh 84d. The order of April 9th. 1923. reduced the 2s 6d in Hie ratio of 57.7 Kto 41.31, that is t nls 9kl; making the total rate 6s 9RI. The present order reduces the 2s 6d in the ratio of 57.76 to 44.77, that is to Is 11 Jd ; nuik:lng the total rate of 6s or more than the present rate.