ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 131, 27 February 1919, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT

COST OF LIVING

SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS

The Arbitration Court resumed its sitting yesterday. His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer presided, and associated with him were Messrs. W. Scott (employers' representative) and J. A. M'CuHough (workers' representative). Applications for increased war bonuses made by ihe Wellington coach workers, Wellington plumbers and gasfttlers, and Wellington iron and brass moulders were set down for hearing. Air. M. J. Reardon appeared for the coachworkers and iron and brass moulders, and Mr. A. W Croskery for the plumbers and gasfitters. Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell represented the employers. , T Mr. Reardon said tha applications could be taken together. They were made under section l(i of the amendment Act of last session. He submitted a few days ago that responsibility was thrown upon the Court of granting such increases in the wages as would meet the increase in the cost of living since the last awards were made. It was, of course, an obvious flaw iu the legislation for which he was not responsible. This legislation, like a good deal of the legislation of recent years, was passed through Parliament in a great • hurry, and the Labour people had little or no opportunity of examining the proposals. If it were'just that the Court should be called upon to grant increases to cover increased cost of living since the last award, it was, he contended, equally just that, the Court should grant increases to cover the extra cost of living since the outbreak of the war. Even though a grave responsibility had been cast on the Court the responsibility was not greater .then that which had been imposed upon other men in the British Empire during the last few years. He hoped the Court would.face the responsibility cast upon it by Parliament. In his opinion, according to the Act the Court must grant whatever increases were shown in the cost of living. In 1913 the Legislature, shirking its responsibilities, ca«t upon tho Court the duty of, if it thought fit, granting a six-day week to hotel workers. In that Act it was stated that the Court "may," but in the section of the amending Act of last year the word used was "shall" tako into consideration the cast of living. So long as the other side could not show that an increase in wages would be detrimental to the community, it was the duty of the Court to grant the increases asked for to cover the higher cost of living. Mr. Scott: Have you taken any legal opinion on that point? Mr. Keardon: So, sir.

His Honour: The Act, is quite clear. Mr. Reardon: I hope so. Parliament had simply ehirked its responsibility, and passed it on to the Court, possibly because the members thought that the Court would not do what, it would bo asked to do.

II V. Eeardon then called evidence. Malcolm Frnser, Government Statistician, said that certain questions were submitted to him by Mr. Reardon bearins; on the increased cost of living since the last award was made in respect to certain unions. He explained that the cost of living' was arrived at by apportioning (he cost of the housewife's weekly basket, and this was as under:-. Food 34 per cent. Housing 20 per cent. Lighting 5 per cent. Clothing 13 per cent. Miscellaneous ... 28 jer cent.

Total ...;. 100' per cent. The monthly figures were not comparative, but the yearly figures were,, and so wero the corresponding months. In the case of the Wellington coach workers Mr f Fraser furnished the following figure with respect to journeymen whose wages'in 1014 were i>3 6s. per week:— Wage f required in Jan., 1919, to reach preJuly, 1914. war value. £e. (1. £s. d. Food, U p.e 1 2 528 1 12 4.87 Housing, 20 p.o. ... 0 13 2.40 0 14 6.45 Fuel and light, 5 p.c fl 3 3.60 0 4. 1.43 Clothing,. 13 p. 0.... 0 8 6.96 0 12 10.41 Miscellaneous, 28 p.c 0 IS. 5.76 1 0. 3.94 •S3 6 0 £i 4 3.13 In respect to-clothing and miscellaneous items, the figures are istimatcs, The union's last award was made iS November, 191G, and the distribution of wages was as follows:— Nov., 1916. Jan., 1919. £ s. d. £ s. d. Food 1 3 11.61 1 8 7.C7 Housing ..: 014 1.20 013 1.15 Fuel and light ... 0 3 6.30 0 i 0.64 Clothing 8 9 1.98 011 10.97 Miscellaneous ... 019 8.88 1 1 2.65 £S 10 6 it 0 11.95 The "position with regard to the plumbers and gasfitters is the same as in the case of the coach workers, the wages in both cases being the same in July, 1914, ami the last awards were made in November, 1916. In regard to iron and brass moulders the position was as under:— July, 1914. Jan., 1919. £ s. d. £ s. d. Food 1 1 11.07 1 11 8.77 Housing 012 11.10 014 2.81 Fuel and light ... 0 3 2.7S 0 4 0.41 Clothing 0 8 4.81 012 7.22 Miscellacnous ... 018 1.14 019 10.65 £3 4 7.50 JU 2 6.06 The last award made for the iron am brass moulders was in November, 1917, and the pro Tata distribution ' of the wages at that dato and > in January, 1919, were 6liown as under:— Nov. 1917. Jan., 1919. £ s. d. £ s. d. Foods 1 5 11.61 1 8 fi.24 Housing 015 3.30 015 ft-60 Fuel and light ... 0' 3 9.83 0 3 9.55 Clothing 0 9 11.14 012 4.93 Miscellaneous ... 1 1 4.62 1 2 5,45 .£'3 16 4.50 £i 2 8.77 The Court after hearing the addresses f of the representatives reserved its decision.