ARBITRATION COURT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16349, 5 February 1924, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT.

(Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. In the Arbitration Court this morning Justice Fra/.er replied to a request,of tile Oti.go bailor Council, asking for information as to the rent statistics of the Dominion. Tho Judge said the Court Juki been willing to give the information soma Uniei ago, when the Wellington Trade and Labor Council made the request, tut this request was put in such a manner, reflecting on the Court's impartiality, that tho Court dec-lined to give it. ' Tho Court's statement was now summarised as under: The Court, had been asked to state the amount sterling allowed in its minimum basic wage lor rent and housing costs in July, 1914, and subsequent dates to October, 1923. The specific answer is tha.t the Court, bad not\ allowed definite weekly sums for rent and housing in fixing tho wage minimum for the grado of labor, lint the movement of rents was fully considered and allowed for when adjustments were made. The Court did not know exactly what- percentage of weekly expenditure jf the. minimum grado of unskilled labor was accounted for by rent in 1914 or any subsequent lime, but the Court did know the budgets showed the average rent of workers of all" grades was 20.51 per cent, of domestic expenditure. The Court also knew that the lowed" in the scale of wages a person is tho greater is his relative expenditure on rent and less his relative expenditure on clothing and miscellaneous items; hence it was probable thei minimum grade of unskilled labor spent 25 or 30 per tent, of waves as rent in 1914. Rents increased 49.8 per cent, between July, 1914, and August, 1923, Other commodities and services combined increased during the same period by approximately 10 per cent, more, so that if the average minimum grade laborer spent 25 or 30 per tent, of wages for rent in 1914 he would 1-rt better off by having that expenditure regarded for statistical purposes as only 20 per cent., because he would get the benefit of a 10 per cent, greater increase on 80 per cent, of wages instead of on 70 or 75 per cent, in round figures. That summarised what the Court had done for thu minimum grade laborer, as to whom rent increases have been more than fully taken into account. In conclusion the Court deprecates an apparent attempt to create an impression that information has been withheld on rent statistics, averring that every material statement and pronouncement has appeared in the Court's previovs pronouncements.