WAR BONUS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11671, 11 April 1916, Page 2

WAR BONUS.

HIGH COST M LIVING; THE CITY COUNCIL AND ITS EMPLOYEES. A very long discussion took place in I the Citv Council lest night on a pro; i position to increase the employees wages by 10 per cent. The matter was first introduced by a deputation, consisting of the executive of the ttenwai. Labourers' Union., headed by Mr E. JHoward. A DEPUTATION. Mr Howard said that tho union asked for two things; first, a. 10 pelcent rise to employees receiving less , than £o os, and. secondly, for a Board , of Appeal to hear the mens grievances, as in the case of the Tramway Appeal Board. AlO per cent rise would nob bring the wages up to prewar purchasing power. An increase ot £3ooo' in wages would mean that a payer oi £5 a vear in rates would pay l'lil per month"oxtfa. The Wellington Council had voluntarily given: its cmplover a 10 per cent increase mspito of the fact that they were already receiving more than the Chnstchurch em- - ployees. He believed that the city should he the ideal employer, and .should demand the highest efficiency, but until it paid tho highest rate of, wages it could not hope to do so.< Oliristc.hurch should he the hub ofNeWj Zealand, and create a feeling of lo3'altyj| in its employees, , ■ Mr J. Worrall said that tho council* two years aW. fixed the wages at £fl 13s 'id. 'Since then the value of thtfl wage had dropped to £2 2s. A 10 pcfl cent rise would only bring tho puiw chasing power up.to £2 fa 4d. ThOj men could not live decently/on thfl present wage. 1 mt In reply to a question as to thuß need for an Appeal* Beard, Mr said that several men had been ..dis-H missdl because of what they believed* to he tho personal feelings entertainedl by their immediate superiors, and this« did not make for-discipline. ■ The deputation then withdrew. § COST OF THE INCREASE/. i The Finance Committee, reporting on I the same matter' later, state"!, that it 1 had considered the request irom the General Labourers' Union, that a 10 i per "cent rise in wages should be given to all mon* in the councils employ at present receiving'.toss--than £3 os per week. The following statement showed ■, what would be tho efPect of the increased pay not exceeding £3 os. per week: v . ■ £ s. d. City ..surveyor's department 2G55 0-8 ('Electricaleugineer's departI ment •'.•.• • 823 11 0 Electrical engineer's office and consumers'department 54 12 0 Office and-clerical staffs . 151 18,0 £3685 1 8 j. If a 10 per cent increase* were granted to all adult male employees receiving less than £3 per week the total amount, with a maximum of £3, would I be as under : I ..' - £ s. d. ! City surveyor's department 1978 3 4 j Electrical engineer's departI, ment ... '.. . 538 3 8 j Electrical, engineer's office j and consumers' department 13 0 d j Office and clerical staffs . 25 0 0 . ' • £2554 7 0 ■ AN OPEN DISCUSSION. Councillor'J. O. Jameson moved thai the matter should be considered in coni- " mittee. Councillor H. J. Otley seconded the i motion. j Councillor J. M'Combs said that the | ratepayers should be taken into the i council's confidence in a matter involv- [ ing £3OOO. i The motion was lost by 9 votes to 6. | ■ Councillor J. M'Combs, speaking to J.the report, said that on June 7 the ! Finance Committee of the Wellington j City Council first proposed an increase , of id an hour, bringing the rate t6 Is 2*d, as against the Christchurch rate j of l's 2d. But tho council had finally. I .agreed to an extra payment over and above the award rate on these lines and he was now informed that ■ a 10 I per cent .bonus had been paid on top of that, with a minimum of £2 16s, but no bonus was paid on wages above £3 os. Mr Malcolm Fraser, the Government Statistician, showed that what had previously been bought for 20s had risen to 24s 10id in Wellington and 2ps 6id in Christchurch, that the cofefc-of living was higher in Christchurch. Petone on November 2o had paid Is 3d to its employees and 1 s 4d in winter. Taihape, > Danncvirice, Wanganui, Wnttotara and Patea, and many dther local bodies, had paid Is 3d an hour. Napier and Hastings Borough. Councils and Napier Harbour Board had paid a 10 per cent increase, and many private firms had done the same. He moved that a 10 per cent increase should he granted to all adult male employees at a wage not exceeding £3, the* minimum wage to bo £3, and that a 10 per cent increase should he granted to all female employees and youths. Councillar W. Miller seconded tho motion. .•,,,.. Councillor H. F. Herbert said that it was very unfair to expect a man to ,work for £2 13s 6d. They were expected to contribute to patriotic funds, but he did not see how they could do it A wage of £2 los would ho littleenough, and no ratepayer would begrudge tho extra cost. Councillor J. Reynolds asked whether a 10 per cent increase would entail a wage of £3. The town clerk said that the increase would only be to £2 18s lOd. v i. Councillor M'Combs agreed to strike out the reference to a minimum wage, after extracting a, promise from Councillor J. Reynolds that he would vote for the amended motion. Councillor A. S. Taylor asked whether the increase to females and youths might not be given on merit. Councillor J. Reynolds said that he would agree to the increase merely as a war bonus, exempting the office 1 staff- ' • AN AMENDMENT. Councillor H. J. Otley moved that a return should be prepared showing the earnings of every employee. Itj was easy to bo a model employer with J other peonies money, and he was not prepared to do it. He wanted every councillor to know what every man earned, including overtime, for some ot them were getting paid for a lot ot holidays that private employees were not paid for. . , Councillor J. O. Jameson, m seconding tfre motion, suggested that any increase should date back to April 1. Councillor A. Williams said that the matter should not be rushed through, and while he agreed that £2 13s 6d, m a good many cases,, was not a living wage, he wished to be guided by the Councillor M'Combs altered his motion to read that a war bonus of 10 per rent should be granted to all adult male employees receiving less than'£3 a week. •i+i + +v,^ Councillor F. Burgoyne said that the return was beside the point. The increase would only apply to men receiving less than £3. . . ■Councillor J- W- Beanland said that he was in favour of an increase, but " would vote for the amendment. Councillor D. G. Sullivan said that the Arbitration Court had declared that a decent living wage for labourers entailed a 10 per cent increase on the award rate. Representatives of unions in the city had boon invited by private employers to discuss tho point, and tho City Council should not lag behind. , ('ovTKiil' r Oiloy's -•niienHment was

lost by 9 votes to 6. OTHER AMENDMENTS. Councillor J.» It. Hryward .said that from one interpretation of the Arbitration Court's recommendation it appeared that, its intention was to bring the weekly wage up to £2 12s. (Cries of "Shame" and dissent.) The council should obtain an indication ot' what the Court intended. Councillor Sullivan said that the men were receiving £2 lis 8d in the case under discussion by the Court. Councillor Hayward moved that an interpretation should be. obtained from the Arbitration Court. The Mayor ruled that the motion was foreign to the discussion. Councillor A. S. Taylor moved that n 10 per cent bonus should bo given during the duration of the war to all adult male employees receiving less than £3 a week, with a maximum of £3, dating from April 1. Councillor J. Reynolds seconded the amendment. Councillor M'Combs agreed to withdraw his motion in favour of Councillor Taylor's. Cuncillor Hayward moved another amendment that the Arbitration Court should be applied to for an interpretation of its remark** regarding war bonuses, and that the council should act strictly upon them. The amendment was rejected and Councillor Taylor's motion was agreed to. Councillor J. M'Combs, M.P., has given notice of motion as follows: "That tho Financo Oommifcfcoo bo asked to furnish a report on Jho question of granting a war bonus >,al] female ornplf-'-ees and youth's-' 3