LABOUR AND THE COST OP LIVING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 311, 20 September 1918, Page 6

LABOUR AND THE COST OP LIVING

ARBITRATION COURT CRITICISED. A conference of local trades unions, ihnvened bv the- Wellington Trades and Labour Councils was held m the Trades Hall on • Wednesday evening to consider what united action could be taken in regard to the increased cost of living. Mr. M. J. Reardon (president of the council) presided, and the following motions were carried:— "That tho trend of legislation. during the war period has been in the direction or relieving the employer of his liability towards .the workman, white repressive measures have been framed to try to curb any growing discord among the workers; the time is now at hand when repressive legislation will utterly fail to stem the tide of discontent among the working people in tins "That in the opinion of this conference the Arbitration Court has utterly failed to realise the responsibilities that have devolved upon it during the war period. The Court has concerned ifcscif more about the effect of increases in wages upon the employers after the war than about the immediate' needs, of the worker during the war. Further, the authoritative opinions' expressed by the Court display a remarkable lack of economic knowledge. The Court apparently takes only a superficial interest in the broad, economic aspect of the wages question, and lienco its judgments are without value. "That omplovers, when refusing to meet their work-people to adjust wages 'to meet the greatly increased cost of living, are following a policy which must certainly lead to an industrial upheaval." • A committeo was set up to go into the question and report to o. later conference. The members of the committee are: Mcssrs.M'Carlie (local enginedrivers); Madison .(Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners), Cornwall (painters and decorators). Read (engine-drivers), Reardon, and Mrs. Aitkon.