THE Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1920 LABOUR CONDITIONS IN WAIHI.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XVII, Issue 5880, 7 April 1920, Page 2

THE Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1920 LABOUR CONDITIONS IN WAIHI.

Here shall the Press the People's Right maintain, Unawcd by influence and unbribwi by gain Hero Patriot Truth her glorious precepts draw, Pledged to Religion Libertv and Law.

The reasonable increase in wages offered by the mining companies alnd accepted by the men will doubtless result in the return at no distant date of those who 1/eft Waihi during the course of the strike in search of oinplbymciht elsewhere, and who by this time have probably found that distant fields arc not always (as enchanting as fancy paints them. It will probably also result in an influx of many workers who have never been in. Waihi but who must soon learn of the advantages which the town offers under the improved conditions of labour and are able to appreciate them. All cojasidered, (the wages of the Waihi miner since the signing of the agreement compare more than favourably with the wages in vogue in whatever part of New Zealand the cost of living has been made abnbrmully high by the prohibitive rents which lave to be paid for houses fit to live in. Under the higher rate of pay the Waihi miner is comparatively well circumstanced, add many workers in other places who may be thought to bo getting higher wages, but who i'n the end are receiving less when the ontragous rents, intermittent work, and otuev handicaps are considered, have now good reason to onvy him and to desire to throw in their lot with him. As Wo indicated yesterday, the dedsipn of the miners to resume work on the terms offered by the companies is proof of the fact that the terms were considered satisfactory, for the majority in favour of acceptance at the ballot taken on Saturday was very pronounced, l(n all ballots there is sure to be a number who oppose whatever proposal is submitted lor decision, but in the ballot taken on Saturday the minority was so infinitely small as to no almost insignificant. Apparently the minors as a- whole regarded the offer by the companies as not only reasonable, but one in which the companies had gone as far as they could with safety io themselves on the one ha’,ad and fairness to the men on the other. It has always to Ire remembered that any increase in the cost of the output o. gold has to be borne solely by the shareholders of the companies concerned, the privilege of passlUg it on to those who purchase the gold being domed lw them owing U> the price being fixed. It may safely be said that tins is the view that was taken on Saturday, and that the very large vole in favour of acccjitakico of the terms and of resumption, of work was cast ui.ider a rcaiisaimu of the it’" sponsibility which the companies were taking in going the length they did. The agreement is for twelve months, and it is sincerely to be hoped that the prospects tavoro the mines at the olid of that period will he such as to warrant a continuance of the increases wh ch have just been offered and accepted. Let us hope that when the agreement expires the peace which it has brought about will be extended for maloy years to come.