INCREASES IN WAGES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14074, 18 August 1916, Page 11

INCREASES IN WAGES.

"TIME TO CALL A HALT."

EM PLO YERS . CONCERNED

Xiitiiism of the demands of workers' union.-) for' higher wages and reduced hunrs, and of .the application -of the war bonu.-5, appeared m the annual report .presented before the Auckland •Provincial Employers' Association, and it was re-echoed m the speeches of. members (states the Herald). . , The report, aftet statin g that th t > year had ' been a busy one m regard to labor di-,)i!los. conimentcd that tho main feature m the demands of the workers had been lha request for higher wages on account of the increased cost of livii^g, owing to the war and oilier iircums'tancos. It was hard to understand, the report continued 1 , /why the unions' m so many lines had asked for a decrease m the number ot working hours, which, while reducing labor's earning power, must nf necessity largely increase the cost of production. Any shortening of the hours or work entajjled .longer periods of idleness frnv'tlie factory" «nd^machinery. The standing charges remained the sani< 1 . and liniat therefore directly add to the cost of living. THE WAtt BONUS. • Rc.fwi'rii'ig V- r M* war 'bonus, the report st:>.tod that, boariiim m mind that practically ail increases m wages must eventually he borne- by the public, it was not dear how. the increased cost of iivin^. owing to war conditions, \v^is wholly to fall hack to normal so long as the Avar bonuses continued to be paid. Tho (-'ouvt. m grunting the war bonus, recommended employers m other trades to'^rnnl similar bonuses without wailing foi- application being made to the Cofirt, but. at the same time especially mentioned that the bonus should bo granted to' workers eaViving -less than Is 3d per hour or £2. 12s per week. Notwiihst,aiKlmjr that;, many unions whose workers w«r»» m receipt of considerably more wore in." king apyilicnlions foi'a war bonus. I)E VELOI'M.ENT OF RESOURCES. The retiring- president, Mr. E. Al Craiir. m hi* annuiil address, remarked that boniiHPH nominally were only temporary grants for the period of the war, but from the. history of past wars and their effect on economics, and especially on the cost of living, there was nothing to encourage the belief that when peace .was signed conditions would ever go back to the aute-war'level. On the contrary, tho, longer the war lasted the greater would be the additional annual burden to be borne by succeeding generation?. Conditions could only be hoped to he improved by n systematic- opening mi and development pf the com), try. Ho ventured -to -think 'th«t It was absolut-riv iucnnibent on the Ciovernmonl by every menus m its power, financinllv or otherwise,: to encourage the speedy development of vast ' resources, the increasing of • facilities for carriage to ports and markets '' by rail and , by sea, the institution of a period of rest and reliof from fresh and harassing Labor legislation., .and the speeding-up of the worker to tho performances; m each and every day of a reasonable day's work. ■••.'' - ...-.■:.• ■ .<'■ 'TWELVE MONTHS' INCREASES. Mr. W. .T. .Tiiggs asserted that the ceaseless round of raising wages as each j ward expired had not materially Im- 1 proved the workers' position. He did) not think that Labor 'realised that wages! were paid out ■n{ what it produced, nnd, j that the smaller the output the less here was for Labor. During the past, twelve moirtlis increases m- wages total- [ ling over iD500,000 Jiad bneil either! awarded by the Court or' conceded by j employers, including 'thb Government. 1 The. principal increases were : To rail- ■ way men £200,000, wharf labourers ■ £120,000. coal miners £47,000,. sawmills, | fttv.. Jt!35,000, freezing works £30,000,' f urinture ; trades £18,000. flaxmills £14.---000. wor.llen mills. £18,000, olothing trades £12,000, saddlery trade £6000, ! unskilled trades about £50,000. Tile re- ] suit meant that the cost of living imint be considerably increased, and the genoral public must pay, or employers would be pushed near Jlhc brink of banki rnptcy. If there was {<> be n future for manufacturing enterprise m New Zealand it w«s necessary that a halt should be called before the inevitable nmash came.