WAGES OF HARBOUR BOARD EMPLOYEES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14280, 31 July 1908, Page 2

WAGES OF HARBOUR BOARD EMPLOYEES

proposed Increases. At yesterday's meeting of tho Otago Harbour Board, Mr W ]Jelcher moved 'H accordance with notico of motion:— (1) That tJie minimum wago of all labourers employed by the board shall not lie less than 8s 6d per day; (2) that all persons employed by tho board who )\ ra "receipt of more wages (or salary) than ilbO per annum shall receive ail lncrcaso of 5 per cent, par annum (3) , , t al ' persons employed by tho board who are m receipt of less wages (on salary) than £150 per annum shall reccive " n "i«caso of 7 per cent, per annum; (4) that.the board fix a maximum mid minimum salary for tho harbourmaster, deputy harbourmaster, pilots, and signal station keeper?. Speaking to tho motion, the mover said lie had already given tho board intimation that he desired that it would take a favourable view of tho matter ho wu dealing with. Ho had on one 'or two occasions asked for and obtained information on fcho subject, and had come to the conclusion'that there should bo an increase of payment to all thoso employed by tho board. Whether his proposals were tho best to adopt was a matter, of course for tho board t& decide. Tho last return given to him by tho Finance Committee stated that if his prowisals were carried out it would mean an increased expenditure of £1234 10s 8d per annum. That might look a Bomewhat llrge sum, but personally he did not think it would disturb the hoard's finances very much, and good reasons could ho given why it should be done. The Wellington Harbour Board, they would observe from the newspapers', had proposed to increase tho wages of • its employees, and tho increases there meant altogether £1500 per annum. On exactly the same grounds that the Wellington Board had proposed increases to its workmen ho contended that wages should bo also increased here. A majority of tho men employed on the dredges, who were in receipt of £150 per annum, under his proposals would get an increase of 6d per day There was no getting away from the fact that it was being; proved every dayof the week that tho cost of commodities was increasing, and tho employees of the board wero in. the unfortunate position that they had no cohesion amongst themselves or organisation or tribunal tp plead for them, and it was necessary for someone to tako up their cause, and he had decided to take it up. His-proposals were, perhaps, not the most scientific to got at the results, he desired. The peculiar diversity of employment under the board made tho matter a difficult one to deal with. They had to deal with salaries of the harbourmaster, pilots, dredgemasters, dredge hands, clerical staff, and so on down to the labourer. He had,' therefore, in bic proposals gone along the lino of least resistance, and had adopted a percentage increase all round as tho best way out of the difficulty—Y per cent- increase to-those receiving less than £150 per annum, and 5 per cent, to those Who received over that amount. That would mean £1300 or £mj extra per year: but it might not mea& so much. Ho did not say that anyone who already was m receipt of a decent wageshould get any increase: that was a matter to bo considered when each oaso was. considered. The largest proportion of the dredge men, wiw would get 6d extra per day, were married, aid it was upon thesa that the increased price of commodities pressed most heavily. Prices of meat and butter had very reoehtly been increased, and now they would seo thai tho price of kerosene had also .been raised. For a considerable time past the oost of commodities had been on tho increase, and it seemed U> him that, prices would still go up, as there was nothing to stop those who were increasing tho prioes from continuing to d« so. Tho only way to enable the worker to meet tho increased cost of living under such conditions was to givo him more wages. Wages under the board wero a fixed quantity, and wero not regulated by the increased price of commodities. The amount of increased wages ho asked for in the lower paid grado was not much to each individual, although it was a big sum in tho aggregate. The board some timeago had relieved the importers to the extent of £1370 per annum by tho reduction of bar bour cliarges—— The Chairman: That . went back to fir: community. Mr Belcher •_ Not one penny of it ■jvent to the workers—it was a free gift to the imv porters. The board was also liberal inits donations otherwise—it donated £20 por annum to the' Sailors' Best,—and if it could, afford to bo generous in these directions it could also afford to be generous to its own employees, without whose labour tho harbour could not bo kept open. Mr Watson: If Mr/ Belcher will bo willing to have only clauses 1 and 3 adopted, I will second his proposals. Mr Belcher: I cannot consent to that. I have moved the motion as a whole, and. it is in tho hands'of the board to deal' with. Mi' Co Maus seconded the motion pro: forma. Ho said that a motion such as. that proposed, ooming before • the board suddenly, did not allow members to thoroughly grasp its full significance. He thought, it should be referred to the Finance Committee, and would move iit that direction. The Chairman: You cannot do that- if you have seconded the motion. ' Mr Dutliio; I movo as an amendment— "That tho matt«sF""be referred' to the Officers and Servants Committee." Mr Ross seconded the amendment. ~T h° Chairman : Do you agree to that, Mr Belcher? Mr Belcher: I cannot do anything else. I should havo liked to hear 6ome of the members express an opinion as to whether the proposals are reasonable. There seems to be a considerable amount of diffidence displayed by members, and what member* nave to say will probably bo said in oommittee and .no one will know a word about it. But tho time will iome later on when it will be heard of again. The amendment was then put and earned, Mr Belcher recording his vote against it. . Mr Duthie moved-" That Mr Belcher'i name bo added to the Officers and Servants Committee," and this proposal met with the uhanimous approval of . members. Mr Belcher:' It is first necessary that I should consent to go on the oommittee before I am elected. Well, I positively decline to go on the committee. Tlm> Chairman: No one can compel you,' Mr Belcher, to be a member of the committee against your wish; but I am sure Mr Duthie's proposal was moved with the best intentions. We all know the amount of time and attention you have given to this subject. . The matter -then dropped, and the v Wrd went on to the,nexfc business.