THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 1922.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18512, 24 March 1922, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 1922.

VARIATION OF AWARDS. It is apparent from the statement by the Arbitration Court, in reply to the questions submitted to it by the Wellington Trades Council, that every consideration will be given to the representations of those directly interested in the forthcoming readjustment of wages in May next. The court will first make a pronouncement in regard to the cost of living, and this will indicate the nature of the adjustment that will be proposed. At a later date argument will be heard from accredited representatives of the parties directly concerned. It is suggested that three or four from each side will be sufficient to present the facts fully to the court. As the order that will be made by the court will bo of a general character, this procedure should be satisfactory on the whole. There will probably be some cases, however, of an exceptional character, in which the special circumstances will have to be taken into account. The Trades Council asked whether a union could make application to be excluded from the general order before such order has been issued or, in other words, “would any union be in order in immediately proceeding and filing an application for exclusion from such general order in anticipation of such order being made ?” The court replied that it would, on its own initiative, without any application being made to it, exclude the cases of such workers as it knew to come within the category of those whose position in regard to cost-of-living increases now being paid is exceptional. If any union has cause to feel that its case has been overlooked it may apply for exclusion after the general order has been made. The court has macle clear, also, what the position of employers will be. “In the case of applications by employers for exclusion of ally class or section of workers frortl the operation of the general order, on the ground that a greater reduction should be made,” says the court, “it will be necessary to prove the existence of exceptional economic conditions.” The general tenor of the statement goes to show that a reduction in wages is contemplated. The trend of the cost-of-living figures will have prepared the unionists as a class for this. Nevertheless, there may be cases in which unions feel that the circumstances do not warrant any reduction, and these cases will, as has already been indicated, receive careful consideration. The remarks of the court in connection with the new provision for “a fair standard of living” as against the old principle of “a fair living wage,” suggest that there is no definite or fixed basis on which “a fair standard of living” may be arrived at. The Trades Council asked if the court would, before issuing the general order, “lay down what is the amount necessary to provide a fair standard of living.” In answer to this somewhat remarkable question, the court stated that while the conception of “a fair standard of living” might vary from time to time, it would, as the recent amendments in the law enabled it to do, maintain as far as possible its relative standards as fixed by the awards. There is an element of ambiguity in such terms as “fair standard of living” and “relative standards,” and it will be necessary to await the decisions of the court before the construction which is to be v put upon them can be fully appreciated. In the meantime special interest will centrd around the announcement which is expected within the next few days with respect to the movement of the cost of living and its effect- on wages, and later in the argument produced by the advocates of the respective sides.