"GOLDEN AGE" STARTS ON TUSDAY

Chronicle (Levin), 27 June 1947, Page 5

"GOLDEN AGE" STARTS ON TUSDAY

(From C. R. Mentiplay, Special P.A. Oorrespondent.) Reeeived Thursday, 10 p.m. SYDNEY, June 26. Many citizens of Australia, and moriparticularly of New Bouth Wales, be lieve that the golden age which, according to Mr. Chifley sotne months ag'o, was "just around the corner ' ', wib eome into view on Tuesdav. On that day the long delaved reductions in direct taxation will commence to operate throughout Australia. In New Bouth Wales h.alf a piillion workers under state awards will ex perience the benelits of the 40-houi week in Australia, the wide application of which has been a bitter issue before tlie Arbitration Court for well over a year now. It also will be zero liour for offensives by the State government on liousing their salary bvaeket and a number oi their dependents. The position regarding the introduc tion of the 40-hour week is not so cleai Many emplovers are not ready for i' because of the shortage of workers and the mixture of emplovees under State and Federal awards working on the sanie jobs. Emplovers in this pre dicament have tlie choiee of working men uiuler the state awards for 43 hours and paying overtiine, or of giving the men, under Federal awards tlm 40-hour week. Thus industry awaits Tuesday in uneasy peace tinged with apprchension. Some unions are determined tha* their members shall work 40 hours in five davs which is not. provided for in the Act. Retail traders are meeting to work out tomporary shop hours yntn the lndustrial Commission gives »a l'ulinff.

ileanwhilc the realisation is growing that the shortage of manpower is already so acute as«to be crippling in dustrial expansion. Whether industr\ can talce a reduction in hours withoui further loss of output, is debatable and can be proved only by experience. A1 readv many manufacturers liaw applied for p'rico increases to meet tluadded costs of the 40-hour week an.i though the prices branch is not pre pared to grant increases, automatically price rises appear inevitable. The Btate government has proved itself in earnest in its claijn to l>e pre pared to build 9(1,000. houses in thrm, years l>y the creation of a new-Ministry of Building JNlaterials but 110 oue appears ready to hazard a guess as tc where the Ministry will lind exthei labour or materials wherewith to t'ullil : its self-jmposed contracts. The citizen who is resigned to continuing to pay exhorbitant rents for inferior accommo dation, can •already feel unseen haiulremoving those extra few sliillings from his pay envelopes. He will have to pay tram couductors an extra pennv on Tuesday. Increased transport. ehargealone will wipe out for many the ad vantages of lower taxation.