A WORKER'S UTOPIA.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13456, 29 June 1912, Page 4

A WORKER'S UTOPIA.

MR PAYNE'S FOUR BILLS.

(From our Parliamentary Correspond-"; ■■ ••■■■■■■ ■•■■'■ ent.) ■. ' .- ; :-;., .. .;■-

Wellington, Junes 28. Some facetious members haye1 promptly christened a batch of new iiiils fathered by the1 Labour member: for- -Grey''Lynn, "Mr. Payne's Quartette." In this is constituted four Bills entitled the Workers' Right to Workers' Wages Bill, the Workers' Minimum Wage Bill, the Prevention of Unearned Increment Bill, and ,an±..Arbitration Act Amendment Bill.

>rTKe first of the bunch of four is very comprehensive. It provides that any person of either sex who has been not less than five years in New Zealand, and who is temporarily out of employ-' ment; shall bo entitled to a weekly wago equal to that person's average weekly earnings when, employed, stich person receiving such payment of wages shall perform in return therefore such work, or service, or duties, as the officer administering tho Act may allot to the payee. As far as possible tho administering officer shall provide for each applicant for a weekly wage work that he, or she, has been used to. Where there is any difficulty as to.this'the officer shall,, as soon as possible, transfer those receiving the benefits under.the Act into suitable channels of employment. In connection with this portion of the Act free railway passes are to bo supplied to persons sent to work, in the country. If allotted work the applicant must faithfully perform it for a period of three months (unless other avenues, of employment open to him), and at the end of three, months the applicant, shall have the right of transfer to more, suitable occupation.

The Workers' Minimum Wage Bilf. provides that no worker in New Zealand, of whatever grade, shall ho paid' less than £3 per week. Ag the measures have not been cir-. dilated tho House, is hit in wondering, doubt as to how this workers' Utopia,. is to ,be achieved, but Mr Payne is at any rate sincere.