WORLD OF WORK

NZ Truth, Issue 606, 27 January 1917, Page 3

WORLD OF WORK

I PITHY POINTS FOR PROLETARIAN PLUGS | 1 " 3, '__ BT "HONESTAS"' : A iiiwiwi ii __iiu-iijiii— mr^

A good . deal of dissatisfaction has been caused among the miners and other gold workers m and around Waihi, owing ■> to the unsatisfactory award granted by the court last October. This is not surprising when one passes m review the facts appertaining to this particular case. "Honestas" does not know whether the Union's representative, when the' case was before the court, adduced all the available Information. He can but presume that he did, and such presumption compels the conclusion that a very grave injustice Has been ■ done the members of the Union m question. In its memorandum' to the award, the court states that: Owing to the heavy burdens which have been placed- upon the industry as a result of the war m the way of high prices for materials used by the mining companies and , the increased taxation which had been imposed, they could not properly grant any general increase _ m wages, but would grant a slight . Increase to the lowest paid men only. The workers' representative m the court, Mr. J. A. McCullough, entered his protest -against the decision, and this is recorded m the memorandum. "Honestas" is glad of this. "Jack" has been somewhat remiss m this particular more than once. It is well that he should take every opportunity the Act allows of letting the workers and the public know exactly what his attitude is m such cases. It was well for him that he did so m the case under review, as also m the case of the Drivers' award, m which subsequent events proved that the "minority" of the court was right, and that, if the injustice inflicted on the latter had not been speedily rectified, there would have eventuated as bitter and as widespread an industrial unheaval as this Dominion has seen. And when we review the facts m connection with the Waihi miners' award, the unfairness and "Paf'-like flavor of the court's finding seems to have been so much more flagrant and fro ward, that "still the wonder grows" how it is that the men have refrained from taking similar action to that taken, and contemplated, by the Drivers' Unions. #'# ' # "Honestas," m the interest of justice, equity arid fair-dealing, would like to analyse 'the claims put forth on behalf of the mining companies m the memorandum of the court. Granting the claim^of the companies that they have to pay more for the materials used by them, or rather by their workers, m the process of gold and other mineral . getting, it has been stated since by a companies' witness, when the Stationary Engine Drivers' case waa before the court, that the introduction of improved methods had resulted m a considerable saving m the amount of material used, which more than balanced the increase m costs. After the award had been made and the companies felt themselves secure for another lap, they immediately set about raising the prices on all such materials supplied to contract men m the mines. "Honestas" has it from a very .well-informed source that about ninety per cent, of the men employed m the mines are on contracts. The companies sell these men all. their requiremerits — explosives, shovels, picks, candles, and, m fact, all mining requisites. The price of shovels was raised immediately the new award was made, although the bulk of the "banjo" players did not benefit one-pennypiece under it. The price of candles waa increased five shillings a case; explosives seven shillings and sixpence a case on the price ruling before the award came Into force. These figures show that the "Increased prices" for material were not only passed on to the workers, but that the men had to pay something m addition thereto., The Increase m prices, then, instead of being a reason against the granting of an increase, was, m reality," an argu-' mont which, followed to its logical conclusion, should have told In favor of the men. If the company could not be expected to pay higher wages because the price of working material had increased, surely when shown thai f<uch increase was by the simple act of "passing It on," converted from an extra charge to additional profit for thte companies at the expense of the men, the court ought to have granted, In equity, an all-round increase of wages. But apart altogether from this, "Honestas" would like to know whether or not the President of the Arbitration Court is m accord with the deliverance of Judge Higgins across the Tasman, who has laid down his dictum that: A decent, living wage for ay..-^ workers engaged therein ought/* 5 be the first charge In all iudu '. tries. Besides, ''Honestaa 1 knows that, as a matter of fact, the Waihi companies have done better during the post eighteen months than they had ; been doing for the four or five years previously. • • • It was contended by the companies ■ that they received a fixed price for their product — gold. But gold Is not their only product. They produco a substantial amount of silver, and the

price of silver- has increased of late. On the companies' own showing the price of silver has increased since the outbreak of the war by 33 1-3 per .cent., which means a considerable increase m the income of the companies concerned. - Returns indicate that, man incredible short period of time, this inhanced price of silver brought £16,000 additional to the Waihi Gold Mining Company, and /as the Grand Junction Company is working the same class of ore, the latter company must have done still better, as their plant is run more scientifically than is that of the former. The extra profits rie-* rived from the sale of their silver was more than sufficient to meet all increased charges on materials used m the process of ore-getting, apart altogether from the passing on of such increased cost, plus a profit, to the workers. ' * * * If we turn to the Waihi Gold Mining Company's "balance-sheet for 1915. we will find there that the company has been making a saving m working expenses of from £20,000 to £25,000 per year as the result of the introduction of their hydro-electrio scheme. As balance-sheets of" most trading companies are so drafted as to sock away savings out of sight of the lynx-eyed public, probably these figures are much below the actual saving, which must have been considerably augmented since, as the workers became more proficient m the'handling of the high voltage current. The balance^ sheet . and report of the Grand Junction^ Company shows great savings m many directions, despite the plea of increased cost of material. And what was the net profit earned by these companies during their past financial year? "Honestas" is unable to say, and questions' if, any other than the higher officials of the companies could tell. He knows, however, that that profit must have been very substantial, since after making all the usual allowances forHhe building up of reserves, etc., both companies paid dividends of 20 per cent. These facts force the conclusion that the greed of both these companies Is unbounded, and it Is not surprising that their spokesman, when the miners' case was before the court, callously confessed that he looked upon the miners as mere cogs m the profitmaking machine to be thrown upon the scrap heap when unable to further function m the getting of profit for the companies. They fought their miners over an advance m wages, to which they must have known the men were Justly entitled. The two items herein mentioned meant a saving of close on £40,000 a year to the Waihi Company alone, probably equal to five per cent, on the dividend, and notwithstanding that fact they practically carried their point before the;coiirt. It seems to "Honestas" that 'the companies con<cerned are crushing their profits not so much out of the ore reclaimed from mother earth, as out of the brawn, bone and brain of those who slave and sweat for a mere pittance m their super- heated, subterranean treasure troves. "Honestas" does not know whether all the facts,- herein gathered together, were adduced on behalf of the claims of the miners when their case was before the court, but if not the officials charged with' the conduct-, ing of their case must have been guilty of grave negligence. All this information ought to have been ready filed for immediate reference m the proper place. If it waa adduced and its salient points emphasised and driven home, as they ought to have been, then "Honestas" emphatically assorts that 1 a very grave injustice has been done to a most industrious body of men— men who every day they go forth to earn the inflated dividends of the gold-bugs, and, incidentally., their bit o' scran, take their lives into their hands. ' While tfyey are piling up the ducats for the mining dignitaries, disease and death are insidiously dogging their steps.