WAR TIME WAGES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16448, 4 June 1919, Page 8

WAR TIME WAGES.

SOME BIG INCREASES. A special inquiry into war wages was made cowaias the end 01 last y«*i by the Govern incut Statistician s Department, anil the results appear in ihc recent issue of tne Now /Zealand Year Book, 'they show Unit in the occupations subject to awnicis and agiearnouts, the increases granted during the war period averaged if.oh per cent. Thirty-three trades arc covered by too inquiry, and the majority show (onsiderably more than the average increase. What brings down tile average is the percentage of increase shown in the case of tne aerated water workers (8.31 W coach-workers (9.09), painters (3.54), printing umchiuists (7.69), slaughtermen (9.09), retail soft-goods storemen and tailorcsses 10 per cent. Many of those trades have since received increases in wages. The occupations in which increases of over 20 per cent, were noted are as follows: Shearers 37.50 Seamen 29.10 Waterside workers 27,89 Grocers’ assistants 27.73 Woollen mill female employees 27.22 Furniture makers 21.93 Butchers, general hands ... 20.90 Bakers T 20.50 Electrical Workers 20.G0 Engineers 20.45 Drivers- 20,00 The statistical experts note that there has been a tendency towards higher increases in the low-paid trades than in those occupations which were already' well paid. .High percentage increases are also shown in the industries necessary to carrying on the war, and in which conditions apparently prevailed which made it possible to pay larger increases than were possible in trades detriment ally aliectcd by the war. They also point out that owing to the larger amount of overtime worked, the percentage increases do not fully cover the actual increase in earnings. A valuable indication as to the position of unskilled labour during the war is furnished by returns of the earnings of unskilled labourers employed by local bodies. The labour shortage is also made evident, for they employed nearly 12,000 men in 1915, but came down to a payroll of 4627 in the last year of the war. The increasing individual wage, which represents 21. C during the whole period, is shown in the following tables of average annual earnings per employee: Year £ s. d. 1015 Ml 0 0 1916 151 'i 0 1017 161 T". 0 1918 171 10 0 Another feature of the figure is that as the war progressed- the wages of casual employees increased in morn rapid ratio than that of the permanents, until the wages of both classes were nearly the same.