RAILWAY SERVANTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16665, 10 April 1916, Page 6

RAILWAY SERVANTS

AND THE COST OF LIVING. DISCUSSION WITH MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. As everyone knows, the railway servants throughout New Zealand h&ve been strenuously advancing claims during tho past few months to an increased rato of pay in consequent® of tho great advance in tho cost of living, particularly since tho commencement of the great struggle now going on in Europe. Following on previous meetings and discussions the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants held a meeting in tho i Early Settlers' Hall yesterday afternoon for ' tho purpose of putting before the local members of the House of Representatives— Messrs Statham, Sidey, Dickson, and Walker —its general views on the whole question of tho cost of living at tihe present time, and conferring with them as to what action might bo taken by tho Government to bring relief not only to the railway servants but to the community as a whole. Mr Butcher, of the traffic branch of the service, occupied the > chair. The speakers for the men were Messrs Wilkinson (Hillside Branch A.S.R.S.), Saunders (Otago Branch A.S.R.S.), and Little (Engine-drivers, Cleaners; and Drivers' Assoeiatioa). As showing the live interest taken in the matter, it has only to, bo said that the seating accommodation of the hall was all taken up. i The speakers named brought forward a considerable array of figures to show how the cost of living has steadily advanced during recent years, and gone forward by leaps and bounds since the outbreak of the war— the average being stated at from 20 .per cent, to 25 per cent, since 1914. The Government was taken to task for having done little or nothing as the result of the work and report of the recent Cost of Living Commission, and- Mr Saunders stated that the members of Parliament were to blame, in that they had, not been faithful to election pledges in reference to this matter. An export tax was strongly advocated, the claim being that it would decrease tho cost of living and at the same time catch a portion _of the immense war . profits being obtained by producers. The question of wheat-growing wals also canvassed at length, and tlhe speakers said that it was the duty of the Government, which already was fully possessed of the power, to compel the growth of tile cereal, and also to commandeer tho grain for the country's requirements. Mr Sidey was the first called upon to reply. Ho expressed his great pleasure at meeting such a large gathering of the railwayman. During the time he had been in the' House Ihe had been brought somewhat closely into touch'with the railway servants. He had always been on the side of giving good, wages. He complimented the speakers for the reasonable manner in which they had brought forward what they had to say. They did not ask the members so much to consider tlhe giving of an increase in wages as .to see whether it was not possible to make wages go further.—(Applause.) In connection with the suggestion that members had not been true to their pledges, he could only speak for himself. The fact was. that he had been associated with a party that had not been ,in office. The party he was associated with had appointed the Cost of Living Commission, but went out of office before its work was completed. He indicated that the Liberal Party had been prepared to act in some manner to lighten tho burden. When the National Government was formed one of the conditions to which the Liberal 5 arty agreed was that something should be done in connection with the cost of living question. Whether members, in face of the present condition of affairs,■ would be justified in endorsing a motion of want of confidence in the National Government was a question, but it was a matter for consideration whether 'so extreme -a step should be taken. Powers to commandeer had been given when the war broke out, but thoso powers had never been exercised. With regard to production, if necessary the Government ,__could enter into active competition. and so prevent undue prices bsing charged. For instance, a single flour mill would be sufficient to prevent too 6evere rises in the prioe of that commodity. Mr Sidey concluded by r asking his hearers to have more consideration : for the. private member in the position in which he was placed with the National Government iri office, and the war 'in which the Empire was engaged. He believed that if the present situation was not greatly improved, the Government would recognise the position of the railway workers and do something towards meeting it. 1 Mr Statham said he was glad to hear Mr Butcher in his opening remarks say that the question was not so - much one of. ways /as of purchasing power. That was a position that had been too much lost sight of in the past. The root of the evil lay in the fact that the purchasing power of wages had decreased so much. So far as belonging to party was concerned, he belonged to none at the present time. He recognised only the National Government, and all members were for the time his political friends. All must take' their shiire of responsibility. He would ask them to bear in mind, however, that the individual member was only one in a body of 80. Mr Statham went on to refer to the report of the Cost of Living Commission presented to the Government. Some of its recommendations had been given effect to—for instance, in the matter of workmen's homes,—but, taking the position as' a whole, the fact was that absolutely no solution had been found; if any solution could be found he would join hands with the person bringing it forward. With regard to the taxing of war profits, that would not decrease the cost of > living. However, it - was eminently desirable for other reasons, and legislation would undoubtedly be passed in the coning session. Nor would an export tax reduce the cost of living. It would reduce it provided it was big enough to stop exportation, but that would ruin the country. With regard to the question of the regulation of priccs,' he doubted very much whether such was possible; the. question of 6upply and demand would always come in.' In the coming session thero would undoubtedly be an addition mado to the income tax, with extra, taxation on war profits. It had been said that that would be a year "too late. That was not so. The increase would take' effect on incomes from the period March 31, 1915, to March 31, 1916. There would certainly, therefore, be 'no loss on the year just oast. ' Mr Dickson said that'he and Mr Walker had come to the, meeting under a misunderstanding. They' did not know that the i subject to be canvassed was the cost of living; they thought it was the question of a rise in wages or the granting of a war bonus. If any feasible scheme could bo devised to fix the cost of living in fairness to all classess of the community he wou'd be a strong supporter of it. However, ho could' see tremendous difficulties in the way; the question had exercised political economists for a century. To fix prices it was absolutely essential first of all to fix supply. Mr Walker said that he had! come prepared principally to deal with the question of wages and war bonus. It had come as a great surprise to him to find that there were so many men employed in the service inadequately paid.—(Applause.). He-under-stood that there were some 6000 getting either 9s per day or Ipss—in a great many cases 8s and 7s. He had been forced to the conclusion that the Government seemed to bo one of the greatest "sweaters" in tho dominion. Ho believed that no matter how many years they went back they would find that mechanics had been in receipt of 12s, lis 6d, lis, 10s 6d. and 10s per day. Mr Bishop, the magistrate in Christchurch, had recently said that no man could adequately provide for a family of eight on a wage of £3 awweek. The question k> consider, however, was what any married man ought to receive, and ho said that a man even with a very small family could "do very little on £3 a week at the present time. Tho question must be dealt with. The last word in connection with it had been said by the Arbitration Court itself. - The court had said that a bonus should be given to all employees throughout the dominion to the extent of 10 per cent. He understood that the railway servanis desired an increase or a bonus amounting to Is per dqty all round. That was less than the 10 per cent, advocated by the Arbitration Court, and when they took into consideration the_ percentage of increase in the cost of living it would be seen that the men were putting forward a very moderate claim.—(Applause, 1 If his colleagues present would bo as determined; to secure that advance as he was, then so far as their part of tho country was concerned thoy would get it.—(Apr plause.) The speaker was firmly convinced that it was the duty of tho Government to compel farmers to g?ow crops that were needed; it had the right and the power. If they refused, then the Government must take over the land and grow the crop itself. Questions were asked with a view to further eliciting the opinions of the members of Parliament. Ihcse chiefly referred to the question of taxing exports, on which opinion seemed to be very divided as to whether the effect would be to decrease the cost in the dominion, and._ further,- as to whether it could bo done without harm to the people at Homo. _ v Votes of thanks to the chairman, the representatives of the men,_ and the members of Parliament for their presence, were carried with enthusiasm.