WAGES AND MATERNITY

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16168, 23 March 1918, Page 2

WAGES AND MATERNITY

AN ARBITRATION COURT ARGUMENT. Tlie increase in the number of stillbirths was the somewhat unusual ai£Umcnt advanced in the Court of Arbitrtlion yesterday by Mr E. J. Howard, when urging Hie claims of builders' an;l contractors' labourers for an-additional 10 i»cr cent, war bonus. M v Howard prefaced his remarks i>y saying that his argument might not appear Lu bear dvectiy on the question of wages, though ho thought it did. ' In looking ovr the Abstract of Statistics J'or figures relating to the cost of living, he had come across figures showing that the number of stiiihirrns was increasing. In 1913 t'.iey numbered 467 , in 1914, 679; m 191o 3 674, in 1916, 032; and in 1917. 694. Every healthv child born, he said, was nn asset to tne State, but labourers were not. a dunce to produce healthv children because the labourer' s wife did not get the food that she should have when doing her duty to the State. That was a phase of the matter tlat public men would have, to take into consideration. . Mr Justice Stringer: The statistics don't show the ranks in the communis- in .ihicli these still-births occur. Mr Howard said lie would not like to claini that all the still-births occurred amongit the 'abour.crs—-th.it would be casting a reflection or. their wives. He did claim that a woman bearing children from tli3 ranks of the workers d'.d not a fair chance to urodnw healthy cliildi oil. His Honour remarked that possioy the cause of tho increase in the number of still-birtbs was one that operatea all through socicty.