THE BONUS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18542, 1 May 1922, Page 7

THE BONUS

EVIDENCE FOR TH£ MEDICAL MeS fESTIEX.. " : ■"' '■, " . ■■■ • ■ ■■-■• ■;< -v - ,1 DEPRECATE v MRM ‘COM B S.’ S.AD&BI3S. <tn U*mt> Pw# *B*o«4.n«i.) ■ • . WELLINGTON, April 28. Mr Maddison> on behalf of the unions, called iii evidpnce t\v6 medioal iTien • Or Alexander Robertson? said that no re- 1 duct«m>ni Wage* -could' be ‘ rtiade vrithout! lowering, the vigour -of the worker, who would low -hir eflocieney and his power of resistance to disease. At the present time ’ he would say that ft wee unwise to reduce the pay of the worker. Dr R. O. -White gave evidence on similar lines. He said that he did not see how. a naan, his wife, and three children could Jive on dG4 Ss a week, Cases of hardship were increasing. Other evidence ■ called waa that of A. Parian*, secretary of the Drivers' IJiiipn; •A; W. Croskey, secretary of several Labour unions, who spoke of the increased price of flannel goods; etc. ' , Fred Fanning, lafid k^ril/- gave evidence' of the greet increase in rentals. He'said; that a five-roomed dwelling could not bp rented for less than 30s a week. , C. R. Ohapman, also associated with Labour orgfabisatiena. gave evidencd oti the -port- of •- likyi g,. 1 ipaffe; ; and' other. !, ' hfCanabe gave hVi(MW, 'submitting Ithe followingln tift «»e, 4a i put wlutt invoived statement' regarding dp iricrease in wages and bohoees, ton the strength at which the employers l feliirtt a 13s reduction in -wages, I did flpl think the stsitednenh called for reply, because I. realised that the court was thoroughly fapiiHar with ' the Various computations,' and wdufd readily yee the fallacfes ih the employers’ calculation : bat- to darifsr the; matter.'l hive pre- ■ pared a taidb which 1 sWsh' tb’Subftilt, The second column‘shows thb-tragte tar in 191314; the third ooluinnShdws 'the wages at March, 1910 ; ihe fourth and fifth -columns ehow that, up_ to March, 1919, the workers Jrtft ireoeiysii wages faiigWi per cent; to, 29 jper cent., or an average of 24 per oenb, to meet toe avofMft inoroaee Jn tl«i boat ofHvintf f'Wl* flJlW* I- off, 46 per, cent;: .The sixth, column' shpws t«e vmgt»..Os ii whiles and.eigbth eohunns show-i that, ht March,, 1920... wi(hv,,ajl i bonuses added, the oyere only receiving,, an aver-. pgO 58-per obn't. "wages f6'au»t" an-average 'UtttMM & M^per-otwfi«in'the bps|s''6{ Jnrfain i&ONMW&e I jpbfl» ! 'bf‘ oomph tanoliS« -dwsSiaiich' (ttßgflqWfte* base thoirdaim -ior-a reduction-Of wages. uTke cmreo* oonfputatiOn 'i>hovi« ; that ’ the worker*, were'-entitled torectftve mere, no*-; less^i,whges-'for/ thto periodoaßMd, 'pitd’ in-.equity should? fiOyH be oompetUnrted by' the* court pursuing 'the’same go-slow. policy' on the downjfcadkwhieh ib ptrtwittif online I up grade.. The table ahowe «»»£%•-What' happened when pricea. wore on-eie up' grade. In the early.dads of the war prfeerf’ rose very rapidly, but; it-wau pot until March,. 1919, that wtor m&tfitofiifel' increase in v wagO*, - and-.then ib wai. only a 24 per; cent, ineressw tb mees r *n ascer-' taihod..- average increase of ?i46 peroetet l Sn the .’cost off living;. ardvnowvwhen -'the'' . whole. wage increaaes lare still Afclow 4be price Increases, it ’i* ’propb*fd td imtnedb ately reduce, iMCtuie there is a slight fall in the ,coßt of living. But in addition to . ‘these actually suggest the adoption Of a monthly index »um-. |oer (on the down .grade) urmwad of tile «*- monthly movipg. average, ' adopted on the. up grade- It is not SOrpriring .that even-Mr . Bishop should realise now unfapr the enaplOyertf . proposal is. In hia opening Statement he am quite’awam the employers are going to.^bO aeonned of adopting ope figure going tip .wanting to adopt another figurc cormag' dowi).'’ THE TABLE’ • ’ ■>■ Appended ie; theVtSbie refe*¥«d to. Filst column shows wages 1913-14; column, wages March, third 1 cblumh; 1 creases ; pojr cent., .March,. 1919: idurrii bolumn, P? ceo increase per .cent, hlaipp, I^l9f .fifth column.- W«#ps,, March,. ,3920 V. sixth cohimn, wape i «ept>. March, ■ 1929 ! seventh column,, prices '-in* '■ creases,, per' cent!,; March, ;

Mr M“Combs added: .The wag&f dbUlito'.' include the 4ttdeo poifhAs" aete.’ We , have ;not. go*:the, ftflf t6 T I March, mjtejb for July, were! ' pfir cent:, and,ioi* . July, 1919, W’iier'Aat., a^iefemake • March,' 191%.- *6 The prices increases for March, the Government Statistician’e figures for the average ’"all, groups’’;. AWMS&uDm DECISION JN ABOUT A WEEK’S • r, ""v' J TIM&‘ ■ , WEIJBINGTOn' Apri1.29.,:, Argument concluded before the Arbitration Oonrt this rooming, vrhon Mr T; O. Bishop, on -behalt- of ihe employers, . replied ,to the- oases put forward ; by the union, advocates. 1 He argued that there "w»s ; - no room, fbrvcdnajjrbtnise, and that if the dcmiirtiOn was th pEOspei- the : court must give' effect to theemployers’ request. '<r ■’ r ■■■-' i- ■' ■' -C ’ Thie court) announced that; it; would >W At least a track belom its dfecisionWas given.

Unskillful. - ‘ ; i ■^. r ; n Is 2d Is 6d ' 29 - .46- : IfflOd 57 65 is3Jd ls,7d ?l 46 Jslld .* 4& : *3 • Is 4£ci 1 Is 9d ’ 2t ■’ : '46' ,2s Jd .. ., Skilled. ’ 65 Js ad it-, it ’■< - ■ 59 ls-6d- '■••'ils lld ■ ,;46 ;va»-*l ■ *■>61) m.