From City Council to Arbitration Court.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 16, 19 April 1911, Page 4

From City Council to Arbitration Court.

Keen disappointment was felt by more than one member of the Wellington City Council at that body’s refusal to settle the vexed question of what is a fair living wage for a Corporation labourer. There have been two sittings of the conference that was set up to settle the dispute, and still the problem remains unsolved. Mr T. M. Wilford, who presided at the meeting held at the Town Hall on Monday night, expressed his regret at having been unsuccessful in his endeavour to ascertain what a fair living wage really was. He had made extensive inquiries, and found that there was such a diversity of opinion as to how much it takes to keep a house going, that he was unable to arrive at a definite decision. Some of tfie councillors openly expressed their disappointment at Mr Wil ford’s failure to arrive at a definition, and raised objections to the chairman’s suggestion that the labourers should take the matter to the Arbitration Court. With regard to the schedule that had been drawn up for consideration, a councillor objected to it on the ground that the amount of some of the items supposed to be consumed in twelve months was overdrawn. For instance, it was not likely that a family of four would get through twenty-six bottles of vinegar and thirteen pounds of mustard a year. Tt was pointed out by the Mayor that if it were agreed to pay the labourers nine shillings per day, they would have to give the tram conductors the same wage, as there could be no discrimination. After a lengthy ami fruitless discussion, it was resolved to refer the matter to the Arbitration Court.