CITY COUNCIL EMPLOYEES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16796, 30 March 1920, Page 6

CITY COUNCIL EMPLOYEES.

WORKMEN'S WAGES.

The special committee set up to investigate the question of the wages ot the Council's employees reported to the Citv Council last n : ght tint it had gone into the imtter fully, and recommended that in addition to the. bonus alieac.y granted in ncrordnncc witli the decision of the Arbitration Court, the following bonuses be granted as from the Ist of April next: General labourers lid per hour, all other employees paid by the hour Jd per hour, weekly employees 2s per week. Cr. Hunter suggested that tho Mayor should call a public meeting of residents at which the people could voice their protests at tho profiteering that was going on, especially in regard to soft goods and many other items. Tho firms which were engaged in tho manufacture and distribut'on of goods should be called upon by tho Government to justify tho charges made from the raw material to the consumer. Tf the trouble was not attended to in that way it would be dealt with in a more drastic manner beforo many years lind passed. Cr. Burgoyne moved that 2d should be substituted for IJd in the bonus for general labourers. Tho amendment was ry>t seconded, and the report was adopted. MEN WITH FAMILIES. Tho Dunedin City Council forwarded tho following resolutions for tho Council's favourable consideration, with tho object of steps being taken to bring it before the notico ot tho Government: 1. Tliat, in tlic opinion of Ibis Council, the special provision for the support of children of an employee which is now granted to employees in tho service of tho City Council ia not a matter that rightly devolves upon employers of labour, but should bo dealt witli under a national echcme, under tho direction of tho general Government. 2. That, with a view to giving effect to the foregoing policy, and thereby affording eonio measure of relief against the excessive cost of living to tho parents of large lamilief, the Government ho urged to consider a scheme providing for the payment of a bonus to the parents of all children of British nationality residing within ihe Dominion. Th? Dunedin City Council granted to it 3 married employees a special bonus, based on the number of children of each employee, in addition to all othex cost of living bonti933 granted by the Court. The snecial committee of the Christchitreh City Council was of opinion that this was a matter the Government should take up, and recommended that the resolutions be endorsed and a copy forwarded to the Right lion, the Prime Minister, with a request that the Government give tho question favourable consideration. Cr. Sullivan urged that the resolutions should he endorsed by tho Council, for it meant, that the money would hayo to be provided by taxation. Enormous profits had been made in New Zealand during the Inst few years, and the owners of those profits should bo made to disgorge by way of taxation, for merely increasing wages did not help the worker. It was a matter of surprise to him that the people were as pat'ent as they were. Tho Mayo l -: They are afraid of the war regulations. Cr. Sullivan: The people are impatient individually, and the so-called middle clnss are wifh the workers on this question. The recommendation of the committee was adopted by the Council.

WARD FOREMEN. Tho Works Committee recommended that the wages of the ward foremen be increased by 10s per week, inclusive of the 4s per week fixed by tho Arbitration Court.

The recommendation was adopted