MANY DOCTORS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1931, Page 13

MANY DOCTORS

THE BASIC WAGE COMMISSIONER TO INQUIRE. THE COURT WILL NOT WAIT. *We have men clamouring for work at half wages, but we cannot give them statement was made before the Commonwealth Arbitration Court by Mr. J. L. Moore, general secretary oi the Commonwealth Jam, Preserving, and Condiment Manufacturers’. Association, which association, he claims, embraces the whole of the jam and canning manufacturers of Australia. The matter before the Court was the basic “The position of the canned fruit industry to-day,” said Mr. Moore, ‘is that we are facing the new season and “ in »»r store, 16,000,000 tins of canned fruit,’ which is more than sufficient to cover the whole of Australia’s requirements for this year. We are endeavouring to test the export market. In spite of the low prices rulin" abroad we have at present in London 300,000 cases of canned fruit unsold. The best price that we have been offered is 5s a dozen tins. We have reduced the price of jam to the irreducible minimum. Sugar has increased 68 per cent. Some factories have been closed during the last two years.” Mr. Moore also said: “We have never before been faced with such a position as that now existing, having such a large carry-over ... We are attempting to put our industry on a sound footing hy making reductions all round. We are trying to obtain a reduction in the price of sugar and in the cost of the production of fruit.” He denied that the 3s addition to the basic wage (known as the Powers 3s), was justified. ‘‘The ultimate success of the irrigation and closer settlement projects depends largely on the settlers being assured of a payable and ready market for their output. Naturally if tlie processors’ interests are prejudiced it immediately reflects upon those from whom they draw their raw material, with the result that settlement is retarded and .the success of the closer settlement and irrigation movement (which has cost the Australian tax--payers upwards of £140,000,000) is prejudiced.” RAILWAYS LOSS INCREASING.' The chief accountant of the Victorian Railways, Mr. T. F. Brennan, was called by Mr. Carolan (appearing for the Victorian Railways Comfiaissioners). He said: “In giving evidence, before the Court in September the Chairman of Commissioners; (Mr. Clapp) said that, in allowing for all costs which should be taken into account this year, the actual deficit of the department was estimated at £1,088,148, excluding any allowances for deferred maintenance, which was then estimated at £233,'500. Owing to unfavourable conditions, which had become more pronounced since the original estimate was framed —October, instead of being better, was worse than the average —the Commissioners have been compelled to revise the estimates. Revenue has continued to fall below the estimate at a rate which has exceeded all expectations. On October 31 the returns showed a decrease as .compared with year of £728, 0(10, and a decrease as compared with the estimates this year of £192,300. It thus becomes evident that the estimate of this year of revenue of £12,213,000 will not be realised. The amended estimate is £10,804,400, which is £1,408,600 less than the previous estimate and £1,284,000 less than revenue last year, and nearly £2,500,000 less than that of 1928-29.” SHADOW OF MR. WICKENS. It was on the day (November 26) on which the above evidence was given that the shadow of Mr. Wickens fell across the proceedings. Mr. Wickens is- the Commonwealth Statistician, who favours a modified >inflation, and who has been appointed by the Federal Government (Labour) to be a Royal Commissioner to inquire into the basic wage. Mention of this appointment ruffled the flow of the Court’s investigation. Mr; Fraser (appearing for the Federal Government), said that Mr. Wickens would inquire particularly into alleged defects in the present method of determining price levels and the basic wage. The Court declined to take the view that any such defects should prevent the Court from proceeding, or that the Court should wait till the Royal Commission should act. Mr. Gibson (Engine-drivers and Firemen) suggested that there was a discrepancy of about 3 per cent; between the index figure shown for clothing and what the unions wished to show the figure really was. Chief Judge Dethridge: “We have come to the conclusion that we should regard this officially published table as reasonably correct for our present purpose. At the same time we suggested that an investigation should be made in the proper way—not in this Court—for the purpose of deciding whether that table requires amendment. To hold up our determination—good or bad—until that wide investigation is made is out of the question, but we will bear in mind what has been said about the possible effect of it.” Mr. Crofts asked the Court whether, in view Of the announcement made byMr. Fraser, it would stay its hand until it knew the extent of the inquiry to be undertaken bv the Royal Commission. Chief Judge Dethridge: “If a law is passed requiring us to pay attention to it, and hold our determination up pending the finding of that Royal Commission, we shall obey that law.” A STATE TRIBUNAL AT WORK.

While the Commonwealth Arbitration Court and the Federal Governments Royal Commission were proposing to run their separate ways, on the same day a Victorian Railways Classification Board was sitting in State jurisdiction to consider an application of the Victorian Railways Commissioners for a general reduction of wages and salaries of railway employees by 7| per cent. An adjournment was asked for on the ground that the board could not act on the railways wage until the Commonwealth Arbitration Court had decided the basic wage. The Chairman (Judge Winneke): “If we should make a reduction in the basic wage would be cumulative on it. We cannot prevent that. The Arbitration Court can overcome that difficulty by not proceeding with the matter before it, but wc are required by Act of Parliament to finish before the end of the Mr. P. J. Sheehan (Salaried Officers) asked the board to re-enact the present award rather than to make a new award before the Federal Arbitration Court had clarified the position. Mr. W. J- Griffiths (member jf board) said: “The figures submitted are so alarming that the board must be careful

not to make an inequitable award through fright. I am not so afraid of the deficit as I am of panic.” Mr. W. T. Robeson (Australian Railways Union): “Mr. Clapp (chairman of the Victorian Railway Commission) has contributed to the panic by telling this board that Victoria is ‘broke.’ ” Judge Winneke: “Apparently the State is not ‘broke’ when it can raise £2,000,000 for unemployment relief. The depression has been contributed to largely by the newspapers, and as a result people who are in a position to spend money are buttoning up their pockets. We cannot hope for anything until people begin to spend again. Mr. Clapp has given the board three estimated deficits—£2Bo,ooo, £420,000 and £l,soo,ooo—within three weeks. It only shows that no one knows anything about it.’’ Mr. Swayney: “It proves how unsafe it is to be sanguine.” Judge Winneke. ‘‘lt proves how unsafe it is to guess at all.” A short adjournment was agreed on.