N.Z. PRODUCTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 228, 25 September 1940, Page 8

N.Z. PRODUCTION.

DEMAND OF HOUR.

PAYMENT BY RESULTS.

WELLTXGTOX. this day.

In a speech at the opening of the Employers' Federation Conference, the president. Mr. W. Machin. emphasised two matters -which he considered important at the present time—production, which was vital to our prosperity, and tl* proposal that decisions of the Arbitration Court shall in future: be subject to appeal. - After statin- that New Zealand's great production in primary industries had been based on payment bv results, he said he was certain Xew" Zealand was missing the highest production in many industries where wages were being paid at time rates, particularly in the present atmosphere of strictly limited marking time by law. Therefore, for the duration of the war at least, be thought, we should revert wherever possible to piecework and payment by results and suspend for the time being the present rigid limitation of working hours, which he was sure was inducing many corners, consciously or unconsciously, a limitation of effort which ni slowing up production. He quoted "the Government Statistician's estimate of factorv production for the years ended June. 1*939 and 19*0 — £30,500.000 in each case—which, if it turned out to be correct, showed that production last year must bave been lower, because prices had risen and the value was estimated at no more. If the Prime Ministers exhortation to work for your lives was to be given the meaning he intended; and the meaning this grave hour demanded, it surely wms not too much to ask that serious consideration should be given the quertkm of payment by results. '•" With regard to the Arbitration Court, lie said that if trade and industry were to'flourish, it must be recognised tfcat the arbitrary apportionment of wage charges on Industry on a basis of assumed and anticipated volume and price return, which might or might not eventuate, in lift give way to a sounder and more ordered method.—(Press Assn.)