WORKERS & THEIR WAYS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1702, 19 March 1913, Page 8

WORKERS & THEIR WAYS.

' HOW OUGHT THEY TO ACT? A short discussion occurred at the meeting of the City Council last night, on the granting of increases of pay to corporation labourers, and there were incidental rtfereucos to the question of how best to deal with applications tor increases from bodies of employees. Councillor Trevor moved: "That the following portion of the recommendation contained m the report of the Finance mid Property Committee, adopted by the ccuncil 011 March 6, 19)3, be rescinded, viz.:—'That the wages for , permanent mei> bo Is. lid. per hour for actual timo worked, and Is. Hid. for casuals.'".

He argued that the whole business ought to bo referred to the Arbitration Court. It was not a question of wages with him, ho said, but a question of [.lincipie. The Court was set up to deal with these particular matters, and it was not right that tho council should allow itself to bo "badgered" by labourers i'n.l tradesmen in their employ. Even so far as wages we'ro concerned, it w6uld be better, in his opinion, to pass laws to' reduce tho cost of living rather than to increase wages. i Councillor Frost seconded tho motion, faying that he also was in favour of referring the matter to the Arbitration Court. Councillor Tregear opposed the motion, lie thought local bodies should set an example to other employers of labour, and should not lay themselves open to be I eld up to opprobrium as sweaters. In thjsf case the council were paying less than the rates paid by contractors. > Councillor Fletcher also opposed tho trillion. . He thought the time had passes! for referring the question' to tho tVurt. If this were to havo been done at all, it should have been done before tiit Engineer was authorised to confer w ; th tjie men. 1 he Mayor thought the rates suggested imto not very generous, and ho suggested u.nt the council Workmen had just as much right to approach tho City Council as any other body of citizens. U was very hard to know how workers could behave. If they cited their employers before the Court ihey were accused, of fighting their employers, and how exception was bcinjr taken to their seeking an amicable settlement. „ The motion was lost" on the voices.