THE NINE-SHILLING BONUS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 60, 4 December 1920, Page 10

THE NINE-SHILLING BONUS

SPECIAL APPLICATIONS HEARD

POSITION OF PRINTING TRADE

INCREASES IN COST OF PRODUCTION

.Several applications from unions for tlie nine shillings bonus at present under consideration were heard in the Arbitratioii Court yesterday, in each case tho applicant unions presenting special reasons for tho granting of the bonus to .it. ■ Beforo dealing with tho applications, His-Honour 111'. "Justico Stringer, President of the Court, said that' ho >ook it for granted that tho wholo matter would to. contingent upon tho decision of tho Court 33 tho result of recent argument. On tho bench with llis Honour wore Messrs. J. M'Cullough (employees) and W. Scott (employers). " , ■The first easo to be dealt with was the application by the "Wellington Typographical Union, Mr. C. H. Chapman.rc : presenting the union and Mr. F. Pirani tho employers. In asking that the. lull bonus ot nine shillings be paid irrespcctn e of curtailment, Mr. Cliipman submitted that an agreement providing that any incrcaso in tho cost of living be compensated for in tho form of bonus had been ■m'ado between .the employers and the •anion. Ho contended that tho printing trade was prospering and had met with little outside competition, and therefore ho thought the employers could easily nfforil payment of tho ,9s. l»nus wliicn, ■after all, was merely'to maintain the fan purchasing powor. of wages._ Mr. W»H>inan submitted figures showing the rela■tiYo position of the-employers, prices, and employees from 1913 until the present time. In 1913, lie said, there hat been 4222 ronployees m tho trade the cost ;of materials had totalled ..£3U.iG3, the value of production was ,:E1,3i7.n.1>, land values (buildings, etc.) .£1,3(12,49/. The total wages paid during that year amount, cd to ,£490,216. Six years later, m 1919, the total number of employees in the trade was .1202, tho cost of material had increased by about .€117,919, the value of production by ;E319,90j, and the la . values liad gone np by "f rear, the wages paid were ,£)92 482, an in crease of about' Thus a big nuirnn was shown betwaen. the cost of production and land values and the wages. Mv. Chapman stated that to his uiow- ' ledge there were practically *° Dloved in tho printing trade of ■ minion. He knew of men .who ■recalled from superannuation, or l.etiie S. to fill positions, at the request of tho employors.

The Wages Question. The relative wages of 1912 wittitlioso nf TMent years were submitted by jlt. Chapman. ? In 1913. lie said, compositors had received £S ss. a week, and in 1914 were getting the same wage. In IM/, ss. was added by way of bonus: m 1919, a bonus of 7s. 6d., wa.go .£3 17s. Gd.;' and with I, howus in January, 1920. making the total 1 3 - 6d! and another recent increase the total wage at present was £5 Is. 3d. Tho increase received at tho present dnv, compared with the 1911 vase, was jif ie s 3d. "It would not be fair, said the speaker, "to include the monetary value of such concessions as a, threo hours reduction in daily time, or payment for holidays. • ■ • The actual purchasing power of tlia £3 ss. received in 1912 is now about £1 13s.'Gd.. which, it added to the basic wage of that time, would make to-day £5 ISs. M. wage, plus the 9s. bonue, will total wES 10s. 3d., and I think tho union is entitled to it".

The Other Side. For- the employers, Sir. Pirani saw that the union's advocate had presented antiquated figures without realising that-they-were such. There had in reality been no Teturn of wages in the printing trade between 1910 and 1916. and there were no such things as "1919" fibres as the figures in the Year Book of thai ; (late were those compiled for 191 G. me onlv way to have obtained the required figures was by estimate. . ''From statistics published in WIG/ said Mr, Pirani, "it will be seen that the wages paid in the trade for 1915 weTp ,£592,45 G. The wages for the current year, then, based on the number' of employees in 1915, would be about .51,000,000 for the saaio number of workers." • , Mr. Pirani contended that, taking into consideration the loss to tho employer ■ by tho shortening of hours and holiday ' : payment, there had been approximately •[ an increase of jyasea of 82 per cent.. li, 1 certain grades of the trade, such as compositors and country machinists, there had been an increase of 100' per cent., as | shorter hours had to 'bo reckoned as . making for overtime. The cost of materials in 1913 was ad- • mittedly ,£i32,7l2;"but the advocate for | tho employees had overlooked the matter. of overhead charges., In power there 1 had been an increaso of GO per cent., cartage 100 per cent., wharfage 100 per cent., gas 100 per cent., and gas for -r.'power; 69 per cent. Roughly; overhead charges had increased by about 33, per -' cent., but tho actual increaso was mora like 50. per cent. To this had to be - added tho increased price of lands, and ' tho'rising of values. Nearly all land owned by tho trade was leasehold, and the owner was entitled to 10 per cent, on . his.'land at the present value. There ' had been an increase of £137,792 on the . : cost =of production, and the total , cost .to .the employers, le?s dividend, was "" i 1,50-4,720, and tlio value .£1,697,831 in 391 G. "For years a number of printing '•••■ businesses havo not paid /dividends," added Mr. Pirani. "Profit had been eliminated. As estimated, tho cost of production for 1920 would be .£1.000,000 • and tho cogt of material .£1,750,C00. At tho present time, as far as newspapers " fire conccrncd, paper that once cost .£l2 a ton now cost .£7O. I estimate over- •' head charges at .£983,33.1'. The 'total cost • of-production would then bo £2,733,333 • and .tho vnlue of production, less 10 pet cent.; for plant, t £3,OOG,GOG. I am sorjy to dissipate the idea that printers are making enormous profits!"

Holidays and Hours. The fact' that there had been comprehensive reductions in hours of work for the trade was referred to by l[r. Pirani. Nightrworkers had received a concession of six hours (compositors excepted), and night liriotypists had received a reduction of from six to eight hours per week. Day piece-workers had gained two hours. "The reduction of working hours took place atf tho worst possible time for the employers," added Mr. Pirani, "just when they wero trying to organise tho trade, so that thoy would not charge less than thei work, produe-. Ed cost ihem. ..."

Mr. Pirani stated Hint ns far as unemployment was concerned, lio liad had twenty applications for- a position of linotype operator. Ho considered tho present inereaso in tho wages—including holiday' pay and' decreased hours—wan ndecnmte. "There, is no iplaco in fjhe world other than New Zealand ' where piece-workers aro paid for holidays and ft 'number of bonuses in two years," asserted Mr. Pirani: "I know of cases where fho lowest rate of piece-pay for SO hours a week was JC7 Is. lid., aid for n 33-hour week .£8 '3s. 7d'. Yet thoso men aro demanding an additional-bonus." In reference to bonuses paid to girls, Mr. Pirani said thnt girls in Chrisiichttrch. if the new bonus were granted, would have received four bonuses in tho past six months. In the agreement a bonus was allowed in the wages. On August. 31 another bonus of 3s. was allowed, another on September 13—ono of "the same value. Against the Bonus. - "The. main points on which I rely to fhow the unfairness of the bonus," added Mr. Pirani, "other than the cost of living,' and the chargo ou the public, is the dato of tho latest typographical award, which camo into operation on September 13 of this year. Tho period from then until tho compilation of the bonus figures is only seventeen days, and is not long enough to. justify any bonus ; feeing granted for the. currehtßix months. i maintnin that the application can only be considered with regard to tho cost of living sinco the making of tho award, and can only bo calculated on the 17 <!ays; There' is a certain amount of fear among employers to disobey the ■ awards.

and inspectors see to that—even beforo tho awards aro ia print. I don't think it fair to accuse tho employers of unreadiness to pay tho bonus—,-omo havo already paid it. as they do not want to como into court. They do not think it a fair imposition, however. . . . I

oppose the bonus as much in the interest of tho public as that of the employers, tho lattor having recognised the danger of passing on increases to the public."

Recent Increases. iUi\ Pirani referred (o'the increases, made by agreement. . . "I cannot understand why men earning ,£8 a weok como 'o tho Court, and ask for a bonus." added tho speaker. "The linotype operator can learn his trade in throe months, and those in' the trade admit that there is no com r parison 'between a linotype man and a jobbing compositor. The linotype operator should lio on the luwest grade, with the jobbing compositor above him. . Tho greatest objection to tho bonus is public policy. Newspapers are being cut clown in sizo. and it is the reading space that goes. One paper printed last year 342 pages a week, and this year 270, ami if tho decrease continues tho public will sudor. If the charges still increase, there will be an increa.iO.nl advertising ralos. and of the prico of the paper, or further cutting down of space. At present, more than at anv time, newspapers should publish fuller accounts of thing? which will inform the public and Wop them abreast. of tho facts. I maintain that during the wnr the censoring of sensible statements raised more alarm than if they had been fully dealt with," Mr. 'Pirani referred to the vol no of reassuring news to the public mind. It, would be harmful to tVo community lo "clip tho newspapers' wings" At the present time newspapers were always meeting fresh expense, for one big paper in New Zealand, each copy cost 2Jd., and this meant a huge expense. It would he a daugerous thing to increase the price of n newspaper to !id. Instead of crippling the Press by abnormal increase* in their working cost, it was in the public interest that newspapers should bo helped, and not. forced to curta:l their news to tho public. I'or over three years newspnners boro the increase without raisins their price*; but there camo a time when it was found necessary to incroaso tho price to 2d. , ' "The fact that tho men aro sticking to the trado," said Mr. Pirani, "is ori aipfumcnt in favour of lamping them nt the prosent rate. The posi.tinn rogardw<! tbe-ti'ftdo is eusior regards labour, and advertising always brings applicants. . The lowest man in the trado is receiving Is. 3d. for a 43 hours week, as against ctf) ss. for a--18 hours week."

Duty on "Paper. Mr. Pirani complained of 20 per enn-t. import duty levied by' tho Government oi paper entering tin) country, which tax, ho said, decreased the paying power of tho papers in New Zealand. Regarding tho prico of paper, lie gave as an examplo n quantity of paper which cost «£3COj) beforo tlio war, and now cost «£'3iJ,soo- Reference was also made to the increased charges for Press telegram?, Press Association rates, and similar fce3. "Our case is "based on the danger to tho public in our having to curtail nowai. am! flie danger to the of jobbing charges toing passed on/ 1 said jNIr. Pimm. "and the date of the award must also ho taken into consideration. Eyory news* paper is not on tho same -footing 2 many indeed twenty—in Now Zealand have not paid a penny for years past, while others have been prosperous. You cannot base increases on. the individual profits ,of a few newspapers. . . Considering everything I think the men are in a very good position/' " A Fair Increase." • Mr. Chapman, in Teply, said the trarto was exceedingly prosperous i'or the .employers Mr. Pirani had objeoted to the ii«nires quoted, but they had all coine from tlio Year Book. Compositors wages had been referred to because they wore b-pical of the trade. Leaving out tho 'i-ition of holidays ami hours concessions, the increase had only been £1 IBs. 3d Newspapers, which -»ir. liraiu lin.il referred to, were not only commercial propositions, but had political an<r other ends, and they should not be exempted from paying a fair and reasonable W: crease. The employers had sole control ~tif anv policy to fix higher prices on tlio public', of whom tho workers formed a great portion. Unless the bonus were fraiited, trade would suffer as a. consequence. "Until the Government taUes adequate stepa to reduce the cost of living," he added, "wa workers alternative but to ask for tto bonus. The •eC.-it ot livi/g has to be reduced. Decision was reserved.

OTHER APPLICATIONS •SHEARERS AND SmD HANnS, hairdressers and driers. The Wellington Drivers', Union (25mile radius) asked for special consideration' with reference to the bonus. 1. was stated that the Court should tako linto account the low basic wage fier"week), which the union contended ■'was ojjo of tho lowest in Jvew Zealand. With bonus, tho total weekly wage paiu to drivors was <£3 16a.; shoremen receiving, inclusive of bonus, £1. in rcp£ to His Honour, the advocate for the iwioti agreed that it was asking practically lor a readjustment df the basic wage, but that at the present time many ot the members of tho union were receiving the as. -bonus. "If the full bonus ih not given," he added, "there will arise Bome ■trouble, as the freight charges have been increased in many ilises to ,meet tho cost of tlio bonus." For tho employers, it was submitted that the owners of businesses had realised the ineflicacy of paying a retrospective lump sum, as the men were oil weekly rates. To these weekly rate* there'had to be,, added *111113 for stable time, thus making tlio wages XI odd rather than i' 3 IBs. The Court considered «lint the ur.;on would have to abide .by tho general decision regarding the bonus. . The Hairdressers' Union received tho same instruction from ,me <Jourt, it being staled that tho weekly basic '-age was >i! 3 10s. However, most jiirnjvmen were receiving £'> <i week. The Wellington ehenrors mid shed hands after some discussion a? ro i ages wlie;-. rations were, provided by the men. were given a similar., answer, by tho Court.

FURTHER FIXTURES Fiktures for Arbitration Court cases to be dealt with later are:— To-da.v, 10 a.m.—Wholesalo drug companies' ' employee.-), saddlers' amendment to follow. Monday, December 6.—'tlo'dell v. Cable, 10 a.m.; tramways' application; Kninnlirips v. Humphries; Sanson v. licss; Cloak y. l'etono Borough. ■ Tuesday, December r.-'-tinrdeuers' dispute. 10 a.m.; Wellington licensed hotel employees, ii p.m. WeiiiiL'silay, December 8.--Wellington tea-room employees, 10 a.m. Thursday, December 9.—Bonus applications. Friday, December 10.—Wellington butter and clicese employees' dispute, 10 a.m. (lnai'iTio cooks and stewards to add 11 party).