A MINIMUM WAGE.

Southern Cross, Volume 3, Issue 45, 8 February 1896, Page 7

A MINIMUM WAGE.

(to the editor.) Sir, —1 was deeply impressed with the views set forth in a letter recently published in the Otago Daily Times, and with your permission would like to reproduce in a summarised form, for the benefit of local workers, some of the statements contained therein. The writer’s object is to show how the ‘ competitive system is used to reduce their (the workers) wages—ergo, the necessity of a statutory minimum wage. He then deals with the change that has taken place in many large business places, where men and women have given place to girls and boys, not a few of whom work for a mere pittance, and adds : —‘New Zealanders pride themselves upon the excellent physical and mental ability of the rising generation, over 10,000 of whom are annually entering the labour market. The supply greatly exceeding the demand, heart-rending competition for engagement ensues, and is remorselessly utilised as a means

of obtaining gratuitous service from those whose wages ought to be a help to parents who are striving to increase their scanty means of rearing an intelligent family in respectability. The application of this custom is: the wives of our city merchants and independent citizens have their costumes made at fashionable establishments by the gratuitous labour of the daughters of our artisan class, etc. These industrious girls are not paid for the first year, get 2s 6d per week for the second, and possibly 5s for the third, but owing to the almost unlimited supply they seldom rise beyond the ss. Fancy intelligent, skilful, and industrious girls working for three years and getting by way of what is termed ‘ pay ’ an average of half a crown per week for the entire period! To-day in every centre of the colony there are hundreds of single men and women of marriageable age whose earnings —no ! wages —do not exceed 25s per week, and married men with families whose wages do not exceed 30s. How, then, are we going to solve the problem, ‘ What shall we do with our boys ?’ To marry them to our girls under existing conditions is impossible, since obviously they have not the means of providing homes, or of providing for the natural results of married life. I read (in the daily press columns) many namby - pamby sentimental references to the ‘ social evil’ and its most lamentable increase, and suggestions for its suppression, emanating from the class of ladies whose fashionable costumes are made up under the conditions I have just quoted. Would it not be much more practical on their part to organise a crusade against the present vice-creating rate of wages ? Work in that most desirable direction would lead to the destruction of social conditions by which much of the ‘ social evil ’ is brought into existence. A dogma of thrift the virtue of which is much extrolled by our National Associations is, ‘ Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.’ I offer a new version—viz., ‘ Take care of labour, and capital will take care of itself,’ which I humbly dedicate to the New Zealand Tory National Association. As a first principle of legislation I hold it to be the duty of Governments * to take care of labour,’ and as the Tory party —officered and championed by the National Association —recommends protective duties, said by the Association to be in aid of local manufacture and the employment of labour, notwithstanding the fact that in many instances the amount of duty imposed greatly exceeds the total wages paid in connection therewith, surely they cannot object to just a little legislative protection to ensure the profitable exercise of labour— i.e., the compulsory payment of a living wage, —by the enactment of a statutory schedule of the minimum rate of wages to be paid in the various branches of industry, constructive, productive, and distributive.” —Yours, etc., Observer.