CHRISTCHURCH CITY AFFAIRS.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13381, 2 April 1912, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH CITY AFFAIRS.

DEMANDS OF MANUAL LABOURERS.

A DEADLOCK THREATENED

(Special to "The Colonist.")

Ghristchurc??, April 1

The notice of motion of Cr. Hunter's' to increase, the rate-of pay of the City Council's manual labourers to Is lyd per hour has come as a bombshell to : thosp members of the Council who are not in the secrets of the Labour Party, and it is understood that the motion., when it comes, .before the Council tonight, will bo strenuously opposed. . The passing of the motion would mean a minimum wage to the men of 9s a day. When it is remembered that only a few months ago- the ; Council raised the' wages of its'employees, the question is naturally asked, "What is behind this new bemand?'.' The answer feared in many quarters-is-that there is a deliberate attempt in view of the approaching' Mayoral .election to raise a .situation -such as that existing in Auckland at the .present moment.

When the late Mr. T. E. Taylor was Mayor, the. Council, after a lot of discussion, decided-to- raise the wages of its manual labourers to 8s 6d a day, it being understood, at that time that "this constituted the Council's opinion of a living wage. The idea was to se c that tio man in the Council's employ received less than ?, living wage, .-.nd that all othec employees in its service, to obtain any increase in their wages, must show that the market value' of tlieir services had increased. ' In other words the Council having once settled a living w-age th« rest of the empl-ojves? wages wero left to bo governed* f>y the ordinary market rate. a

Tlie position, therefore, briefly, is that as. there, is no surplus iund o'ul of which t-o take an increase ot wagos .such increase must bo found cither by: (1) raising the rates; (2) curtailing the amount spent on the roads and other works; (3) reducing the staff. ft is sea-00-ly necessary to point out with rogard to the last two suggestions that it would meati a decreased efficiency :n the work of the city.

"It is understood," says tho "ProßaV "that when the motion comes brforo the Council an amendment wil'. ho moved referred the matter to a jrp'.-ci^.l committee consisting of tho labour numbers to report to tho Council, (a") is to the amount of increase involved. un<l (b) as to how the iricrrasc Avi.il- bo found.

CABLE NEWS.

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