MR. BARBER AND, HIGH WAGES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1294, 24 November 1911, Page 5

MR. BARBER AND, HIGH WAGES.

Sir, —I see by a recent issue of your paper that Mr. Barber was asked whether ne had not voted against a riso of Is. per day, as a member of tho City Council, in the wages of tho labourers employed by that body. Mr. Barber, in reply, said l.iiat. he hail always been in favour of high wages. As an extra shilling a day is a matter of some importance to working men and their wives and families, I would bo thankful if you would publish tho division list on the question, as there lire others seeking the suffrages of the workers who also recorded their vote, and tho information may not be uninteresting at the present juncture, when our difficulties arc so great in dealing between promises and performances as to who aro the genuine friends of the working man. —I am, etc., LABOUR. [At the meeting of the City Council on June 1, 1911, it was recommended by its Finance Committee to give labourers in its employ (permanent and casual) an increase'in wages of 6d. per day. An amendment by Councillor Trevor that tho increase .be granted to permanent hands only was lost on the voices. Councillor M'Laren moved and Councillor Hindmarsh seconded, that an increase of Is. per day instead of fid. per day, be granted to permanent and casual labourers. This was defeated on a division by 10 votes to 5, as follows:—Ayes: Councillors Fitzgerald, Fletcher, " Fuller, Hindmarsh, ami M'Laren. Noes: The Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford), Councillors Atkinson, Barber, Cameron, Frost, Godbcr, M'Kenzie, Shirtcliffo, Smith, and Trevor.]