NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 49, 22 November 1920, Page 5

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

MAT 3B AWARDED TO PRESIDENT WILSON. (Ecc. November 22, 0.10 a.m.) Washington, Novembor 20. It is reported that President Wilson may receive the Nobol peace prize of 1930.—Au5.-N.Z Cable Assn.

cator, but. aleo on all who are responsible for their repetition. So far as the "Hutt Independent" in concerned. I consider its action is not worth further notice. But I did expect' that the represenatives of ' Church', however much they might differ from ute upon religious questions, would have disassociated themselves from such, tactics, but if the row gentleman thinks otherwise, I must, as I have already said, leave our fellow-citizens to draw their own conclusions.—l am, etc., GEOEGE PETHEMCK, Chairman, Charitable Aid Committee November 20, 1920.

COST-OF-LIVING BONUSES

dealing with tho application of the Private Hotel nnd Boardinghouse Employees' Union, ns also that •of tho Licensed Hotel Employees' Union, al; Wanganui, on Thursday, Mr. Justicti Stringer 'sounded a .warning l hole which ought to be taken to heart by all sections of tho workers. Using the homely illustration, or saying, that tho unions had better be careful that they were not killing tho goose that laid the" golden egg, His Honour pointedly referred in the danger that is arising out. of tho bonus system, which is considered io bo necessary to counteract the increases iu tho cost of living. It is scarcely reasonable to assume that the workers, who are pressing for the nine shilling weekly bonus, which the Arbitration Court intimated the other day was required to balance the incrensa in the cost of living since May last, realise the effect which these" bonuses are directly producing upon the cost of living. In January, when the first bonus of 43. per week was granted, the increased cost of living over nnd above the 1914 level, as shown by the Government, Statistician, was 55.33 "per cent. It rose as a direct result of that increased pavment by 7.10 per cent, to G2.43 per cent, by the end of April, when the Court granted a further bonus of Gs. per week, operating from the first of May, making ten shillings in all. Again, as the direct result of this additional bonus, there a further rise of 10.37 per cent., making the increase 72.80 per cent, over and above tho pre-war period on Septeniber 30. Now we have this further nino shilling bonus, which is to operate from November 1, in cases where unions establish their claims to receive it.

It is fairly obvious from tho figures already cited that the nine shillings bonus will entail a further rise of at least fifteen per ccnij. in the cost of living during its currency. It is also ob vious that payments of this character must be passed on by the employing class ■ to the general public, in which are, of course, included the workers themselves. Could we have a boiltor or more effectivo illustration of that fact than is afforded by the Wanganui application, made; on behalf of a class which ought to be the last to press for further additions to tho already high payments they receive for their services. Practically, all of the. employees comprised in the private hotels, restaurants, and licensed hotels arc provided wii'fli board and lodging, or with meals, at the expenso of their employers. It is notorious that tho board-ing-houses and restaurants, which would, of course, be included in any award made by the Court, are p'nlTonlsod largely' by tho workers, who consequently will be called upon to meet, in increased charges for board and lodging, or, for meal 6. the bonus that the employers will have to pay, assuming that it is granted. When tho question of the cost" of this new bonus was recently raised. Mr. E. Kennedy, chairman of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council, contended that as it.only affected 83,000 omplo.yees (ho wns evidently referring to the members of unions who would be entitled to claim the award, and assuming that no one else would Teceive the tonus),its cost to the community would to slight-. ly under two millions per annum. Mr. Pryor, secretary to the Employers' Federation, had previously placed the ;ecst at five millions, but this included all three bonuses granted this year.. The two million ostimate, although low, may, therefore be accepted as indicating the actual monetary cost of the nine shilling tonus to the employers. Its actual cost to the public must be considerably greater, because railway fares and freights, and post and telegraph charges, must be further raised to meet the'cost; of tin* tonus to employees in those public utilities. Tram fares must also be raised and electric lighting and gas charges must be increased to cover the extra payment to the employees such enterprises. The great burden of these increased charges will, moreover, have to be borne by'tho general public. Here it may bo pointed out (if Mr. Kennedy's statement is accepted as 'correctly denning the position) that only 83,000 of the bread-winners of tho Dominion are entitled to receive . the bonus. At the last census the fact was disclosed that the number of breadwinners in the Dominion was 455,000. That was in 1911!. Since then there liavo been considerable accessions to tho number, the population having materially increased', and it would not be overestimating the position to say that there are now 450,0 M bread-winners in New Zealand. It follows, therefore, tkit' tho 400,000 must to penalised to benefit the SO.OOO. The majority must be faced with an increased lax upon (heir resources of at. least .C.'i per annum, in order that the minority may receive parity of payment with the 1014 standard, or what is assnm- \ ed to he that staudard. In all this, and in the demands that are bcinst made by the trades and labour unions for further increase, there is ufl thought of equality of encrilice in meeting the abnormal obligations the war has im-. posed on the country's finances. It Is surely high time the position was readjusted, especially in view of tho fact that if these claims are insisted upon distress and unemployment must come upon many workers, who will have lo be turned adrift from establishment's which cannot face the increased charges lb* tonus im--l»?es on their resources. Hoot manufacturers, engineering (inns, and manufacturers generally arc likely to feel tho pinch most severely. They will, of cOurfe. where they can, pass the extra, charge on to tho public, but vfhore they cannot do so they will, in many cases, have to olo'o down. Thus (again using Mr. Justice Stringer's homolv illustration) the workers will bo killing the goose that lays tho golden egg. As -one of a class of workers who cannot possibly benefit by any Arbitration Court award, lint who, in common with, others, has to bear his share ' in the increased burden of living to which the rost-of-llvins tonusc? have given rise, I trust, Sir, you will kindly allow me to place this protest on record through the columns of your paper, against the. perpetuation of "the vicious circle" in which hwh wages are sending prices eltlL; higher.—l am, etc., A VICTIM.