THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1930. INDUSTRY AND WAGES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21147, 3 October 1930, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1930. INDUSTRY AND WAGES.

Possibly the Reform member for Temuka did not anticipate any practical result from his suggestion in Parliament that a conference of all the important interests of . the Dominion should be called with a-view to the consideration of some amicable readjustment of the industrial life of the community, but it had at least the effect of drawing a reply from the Acting Prime Minister which, reading between the lines,. indicated that he felt that it had to be taken seriously. But when he- spoke strongly against the idea of resort to what he called “ panic measures,” and “ the wave of depression coming from the Opposition benches,” Mr Ransom did little more than brush aside the real issues. It was left to the member for Lyttelton to crown the discussion with comment of a kind’ which shows how difficult it is to dissociate party spirit from consideration of matters of national moment when he declared that the Reform members were backing up ‘‘the insidious propaganda that is going on to reduce wages.” No doubt the deputation that interviewed the Acting Prime Minister last week in the hope of securing at least a practical move—which the Government shows no disposition to envisage for itself—towards the amelioration of conditions that are contributing to depression in industry, and asked that legislation, for which there is precedent, should be introduced enabling the Arbitration Court to amend awards so far as these affect the remuneration paid to workers, was very much ito Mr M'Combs’s mind when he offered his hostile commentary. But of “ insidious propaganda” the deputation, which was very representative of financial, commercial, and producing enterprises throughout the Dominion, was certainly-affording no illustration. It marshalled its arguments in a straightforward and able manner and gave plain speaking on a subject upon which plain speaking is needed. Of course, the interests concerned believe that wage reductions are necessary if a return to satisfactory industrial conditions is to bo brought about, and of that they have made no secret. The Minister of Labour allowed that the deputation had made out a very strong case, while the Acting Prime Minister spoke of- I .the pros and cons and the difficulties of the situation, and seemed to have quite succeeded at the finish in talking round the subject to little purpose. But the issues as put by the deputation were surely cleaicut enough as defined in the statement that industry generally is faced with two alternatives from which there is no possible escape, the choice being

between a reduced scale of wages and a reduced number 1 of persons employed. Of course, the accuracy of such a statement is hot likely to be admitted in all. quarters, but facts speak more loudly than words. Nobody can. have the least desire to see reductions brought about in wages if that can be avoided, but the number of persons unemployed is tiot in dispute, and it cannot be contended that the position of industry is satisfactory. If the award wages are higher than industry can reasonably afford to pay' the avenues of employment are restricted.; How many of the unemployed lack work to-day because work is not available to them upon the terms which they expect, it would be interesting to know. At meetings of ’the unemployed the burden of argument is that the workless want work but must have it’at the award rate, of wages—irrespective of all other considerations. Economic depression is necessarily contributed to when the doctrine that the labourer is worthy of his hire is pushed to a point that, the hire is not forthcoming. The Wellington deputation did not. ask the Government to involve itself in any declaration on the wages question, but merely to provide the necessary machinery to enable the Arbitration Court to hear and deal with any applications, that might be made for the reconsideration of wage rates in the light of changed economic conditions. It 'would, of course, be necessary for the employer to satisfy the Court of the need for an adjustment of wages before any could be made, and this unions would have every opportunity of convincing the Court that reductions were not called for. Surely there can be no quarrel with the fairness of the idea of provision for an adjustment of the balance, if such be called for, after consideration of all the eircumstanceSjj in the. interests of the general industrial welfare. If agreement on such a matter can be arrived at by conference of all the parties well and good. But the issue hah to be faced.