WAGES AT WAIHI MINES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16738, 20 May 1922, Page 18

WAGES AT WAIHI MINES.

REDUCTION SOUGHT. (Per Press Association.y AUCKLAND, May 13 Application for a further reduction in the cost of living bonus was made by Mr S. E. Wright this morning in the case of the Ohinemuri Mines and Batteries Union. Mr Wright said the ground for application was the exist ence of special economic conditions adversely affecting the goldrainin,; industry on the Wailii goldfield Three gold mining companies we*e concerned, viz., the Waibi Gold Milling Co., Ltd., the Waihi Grand Junction Gold Mining Co., Ltd., and the Rising Sun Gold Mining Co.. Ltd., tho union being the Ohinemuri Mines and Batteries Employees’ Union, or Workers. The parties were at present working under an industrial agreement ratified by the Court and dated April 6, 1921. Under the existing agreement the rate of pay for the surface labourer is los 6d per day of eight hours and rates for other classes of labour ranging from this upwards. Die above rate was 4d per day above the Court’s rate for unskilled labour, viz. los 2d per day of eight hours. Under the Court’s recent pronouncement th? rate for unskilled labour now equalled 14s 4d per day of eight hours and thj mining companies asked that the minimum wage for adults working on the. surface on the said goldfields should tie 12s 6d per dnv of eight hours with specified rates for other workers. Sec tion 9 (4) of the 1921-1922, Act specified that the Court should not reduce tfcj rate of remuneration of workers to a lower wag© than would, in the opinion of the Court, enable such workers to maintain a fair standard of living. : The gold mining companies would sub mit evidence showing that if 14s 1d per day of eight hours satisfied thi* condition for the Dominion as a whole a rate of 12s 6d per day at Walhi would also satisfy it. on account of the lower rentals existing in that town. For the gold mining companies a* Waihi the general reduction of 5s per week was insufficient, in view of existing economic conditions, to enable I them to carry cn without loss. Thev therefore approached the Court for special provision in respect to rates of remuneration. Evidence would ho given which would show that there had been a marked falling off in the metal output of the mines, that cost* had risen to such an extent as to more than exceed the output at standard values and that th© premiums of gold and silver which during the past two years had been of great assistance to tlie industry had now largely vanished The mining companies regretted th© necessity for asking for a greater reduction than that alreadv announced by the Court, but his Honor would appreciate that in some industries special provisions must apply if the industrv was to be saved from a serious setback and unemployment prevented. Mr A. Parker, for the union, objected to th© proceedings as the union had not been properly notified that the employers were going to file an application for an increased reduction in ! bonus. The union had not time to pre- j pare its case. Die Court decided to hear evidence in connection with the application, after which Mr Barker addressed th© Court. He said that it was the opinion of every workman that this application was a rather vicious one and was unfair in every respect. The company could out £50.000 a year on £200.000 capital. The company trie! to keep the .wages lower than any other place in tlie Dominion. He thought that the workers in Waihi we- a entitled to a far greater wage than in any other part of New Zealand. H* pointed out th? great loss of time there was through accident and sickness. Sickness was per cent higher in mining towns than m any other towns in the Dominion. Generally speaking tho. gold mining industry was no worse to day than it was at any other time. After hearing evidence the Court reserved its decision. His Honor, seeing that the parties were contemplating a new award, pointed out that in Australia in the mining industry th© Courts had refused to grant a basic wage owing to the state of the indusand tliat the parties had been brought together for the purpose of discussing ways and means so that th© industry could b© carried on. If an agreement was com© to then it was made an award of the Court.