DR. FINDLAY'S SPEECH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 207, 26 May 1908, Page 9

DR. FINDLAY'S SPEECH.

PRESS COMMENTS. , ! . (Bt TBLEOEtPH.—SrECIAi OPESESPONDENT.) r Christbhuroli, 'May 25. • i DcaJmg editorially witli Ur.'Findlay's speech at,3Yahgainri, the "Press"' saysl)r.\ Findlfty, urges; that all , increase in'wages has been ' brought about by the Act; and that this haa more, than, counterbalanced the increase in ; - the cost'of living, jHo quotas.as his aii-\ thority 'tho Registrar-General, who eays that ■ in; 1 twelve-years there has been an increase in • .wages of. 17»99 per cent.,' and W-18.96 .per'-.-.ce!it;:.'oiv''the : bar«;necessaries of life!" But!; tli'e ;Registrar-Genoral; expressly says that ho.y ihas-iipt included'either house rent or.bloth-" ;iiii.'.in bis estimate Of- tho'Cost.';of living, antl'v. lis .everybody knows tlioro has been a substantial increaso in both these items. That Dr.' "Ifindlay can > argue in' the. teeth ■ of. the■ ■very authority ho cites that' workers are bet-' tcr.off than they were twelve years ago, only shows the length to which gentlemen:of tho' .loiig robe aePtistofaied to bamboozling a jury ' vritl go; in presuming on a total want of intelligence on'tho part of thoso; they irei seeking to eonviiioe. 'Dr. Fihdlay ascribes all the ', rise in wages to tjie Act, tut. will not; fiditiit.." that tho latter is responsible for the increase ; in'.pnces. Our oirh view is that tho Act is'*"' ■ liot; wholly responsible for the rise in either dase. Everybody knows, however ( that When tllb! tailors got l ail increase the price of clothing .went- up, arid that the increased wages jjariL'ift the building trade has materially m- - creased the cost of houses,! and consequently . tho rents which the workers have to pay. \Veyaro quite ready to admit that in. some instances a rise in prices has takeu.placo irrespective of the Arbitration Act. Similarly we have no doubt that if the Act had not been in existence wages would have risen, owing to. the general activity of trade,'and probably to a greater extent than., under tile Act. "A' correspondelit quotes ,ah instance ! which socms ito us very mucli to thopoint. , No' class of the, community, has benefitted mora during, the last twelve years, both ,as. regards increased- wagefi ..arid 1 ill proved conditions than : domesfcie seryantsi Yet domestic servants' have not secured any award from tho Court,. arid do not even possess any Union worthy , , of .thc name. We: should like to know how ! tbii learned -Attorney-General would explain this striking and interesting fact.