THE LIVING WAGE.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15214, 30 October 1919, Page 3

THE LIVING WAGE.

Bays the Sydney "Telegraph'" : "The Board of Trade have now made an official declaration that the living wage is *3 17s per week, or 12s lOd per day, I or Is 7£d per hour. The living wage is therefore automatically increased.'lhe j board were not concerned to inquire i |as to the effect of these increases on j the general position of industry. They j took their duty from the Act of 1918, I supplemented by precedents which de- ! fined the units of labour before the, ■ Act was passed. It is possible that if j the hoard had been able to take a wider j view of their subject their decision would have been different, and that if the Legislature had anticipated, that such an enormous increase would have, I been sanctioned in any one year the I board would never have been estabhshi'ed. The consequences of their decil sions-are now obvious to everyone. i The cost of living must go u#. on railways and trams will be mcreas- , cd. The "primary producer, apart from ! threatened inqeases in his. wages bill, ■ will have further inducements to leave ' the land aiiu 'settle among the picture shows and the racecourses of-the city. ; The Legislature will give some help by 1 removing an anomaly introduced by ! the Courts for v ra.wm 'which is notr ! obsolete. i>ut fat) oiUy permanent ! remedy is to be found in ;m increased •rate of production and in the use of ; more scientific methods. 'There it; npt much hone for such a .solution in tnc j speechesr of Mr. Willis aiid" other in- j dustrial lenders. I kit it is a remedy } for a steadily increasing cost of living which is being sought in Englanc\ana America, and must ultimately be found in Australia. ■