BASIC WAGE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 53, 26 November 1920, Page 7

BASIC WAGE

AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION'S PROPOSAL DECLARED BY MR. HUGHES TO BE 1 IMPOSSIBLE (By Telegranh-Preßß AfsocCation-Oopyrliflii Melbourne, November 25. According to a memorandum supplied to Mr. W. M. Hughes by the chairman of tko Basic AVage Commission the suggested basic wage of i! 5 16s. for all male wurkors was based on a typical family, of a man, wife, and three children. This meant that all families with more than, three children would .suffer privation; those below three would receive more 1 han a living wage, and an unmarried man would get what would support himself, n wife, and three children. Working upon the l'Jll census of population, the number of children per head of male population averaged decimal 90, so that under the existing basic wage industries were, paying for -450,000 non-existent wives mid 2,100,000 non-existent children. .Again, there was the question of the automatic increase of the basic wage every quarter, so that the sovereign would always purchase tho same amount of commodities. With evcrj- increase in wages would corns an increase in prices, because Australia did not produce the required wealth. Under these automatic increases, by, November, 1921, the basic wage would have risen to .£8 12s. 6d. On the strength of those figures, Mr. Hughes declared that the problem was insoluble and tho position impossible. Tho worker would be no better off from the increasing wages because of tho increasing prices.—Frees Assn.

CLAIM OF FEDERAL CIVIL SERVANTS

DECISION OF THE GOVERNMENT.

Sydney, November 25. the Federal Government has decided to pay Federal Civil Servants a basic wage of £i'is. from November I.—Press r'i'he Federal Civil Servants conducted a "vigorous campaign to enforce their claim for a basic wage. The objects of the agitation were; "(1) A minimum wage for male and female officers based on the findings of the commission appointed by the Government some time ago, _ with full marginal application to those in receipt of salaries above the minimum, (i!) A basic wage at pro rata rates for iuiiior officers, and also for males and females under 21. (S) That.the increases shall be paid from the beginning of the present year to enable employees to pay the debts they, have incurred in consequenee of their inadequate salaries, the Federal Basic Wage Commission this week recommended the following scale :-feydnev, .£5 175.; Melbourne, .16s. fid.; HoW M 16s. lid.; Adelaide, & 16s. Id ; Newcastle, £5 15s. Gd.; Perth, £5 Vis. Id.; Brisbane, £o 6s. 2d.J