LONGER WORKING HOURS NEEDED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 157, 29 March 1939, Page 11

LONGER WORKING HOURS NEEDED

Relaxing Of Labour Conditions Sought CALL BY LEADER OF OPPOSITION Case Of Building Industry Quoted By Telegraph—Press Association. TAURANGA, March 28. “If ever there was a time in our history when labour conditions should be reviewed in their proper perspective, it is today,” said the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hamilton, in a statement made in Tauranga last night. “There is legislation under which the Court of Arbitration may relax the restriction of hours in an industry if circumstances warrant it,” remarked Mr. Hamilton. “1 he cause of humanity demands that those restrictions should be relaxed today. The Government has given a selfish precedent for the principle, but the people must demand that this should be a lead to the Dominion. Obvious and urgent necessity demands a relaxation of the harassing restrictions.

“Unfortunately, the Government will not Rive this lead, though to save its own skin it has been quick to relax a restriction to secure quick results from workers. Because there is no such lead there is acute hardship among our people, and the Government’s negligence is past excuse. Government's Precedent. “Why not carry on from the precedent set by the Government when it recently relaxed the conditions in the building industry on such jobs as the Centennial Exhibition buildings and the new Social Security Building? Why should the Government stand by and see the people it presumes to be championing living in conditions varying from the great inconvenience of overcrowding to the degrading squalor of hovels? These conditions exist, and must be met. It must not be overlooked that large sections of our people have to work longer hours than 40 a week because of the demand for the welfare of the community. Only 60 to 70 per cent, of union award workers have a 40-hour week, aud farm workers have no restrictions of hours. “Anyone can realize how , much it would mean in relieving the situation if the hours of work in the building industry were extended to 44 a week even. The hardships of today demand thia.

“Why have we not heard anything about it? In every country in the world where efforts have been made to provide more leisure for the working man it has always been conceded that, where leisure is carried to an excess which creates hardship, a little of that leisure must be given up ungrudgingly. That is a policy based on practical Christianity. If we are morally to rearm our people in the cause of good government as opposed to class government, then such principles underlying community wellbeing must be realized. “Why discount today the virtue of hard, honest work? It is needed today as of old. It is perhaps difficult to expect that virtue to be cherished by men who have agitated all their lives to persuade the workers to do as little as possible for as much as possible. “Perpetuating Slums.”

“The whole of our housing legislation must be overhauled as well. We have legislation today perpetuating slum areas. Thousands of people are living in premises condemned as a menance to public health, and under the present methods their outlook is blacker than ever. I am not going to be sidetracked by either abuse or a parrot-like comparison with the depression in my determination to make the Government face the problem. “State housing may have much to commend it from the Socialist’s point of view in building a nation of rentpayers. “No doubt, too, it will be music to the ears of the Government to hear some day the squeals of people approaching the evening of their life who have to pay the whole of the Social Security provision, and more, in rent. “I am not afraid to face these facts and do not have to apologize to anyone for bringing them to light. A National Government would have faced them. State bousing today is on a basis which boils down to a scheme for those well able with their substantial earnings to provide for themselves. That important section of the community w’ith earnings and circumstances which brings it into the class of bad or indifferent rentpayers is being left to rot under conditions which are a menace to health. The Government is suiting its own selfish ends and forcing private landlords to carry all who may be considered not just safe and satisfactory investments. Into the bargain, it is making the private landlord carry impossible restrictions under which housing problems can never be solved. “Let us unite in a crusade for community fair play, not class fair play, in housing; let us realize that in owning a home a person is making one of the best possible provisions for bis or her social security.”

NO INCREASE IN HOURS

Arrears In Every Class Of Building STATEMENT BY MR. SAVAGE “The Government Iras no intention of taking any action to increase hours of labour,” said the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, when referring last evening to the suggestion of the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hamilton, that hours of work in the building industry should be extended to 44 a week in order to relieve the bousing situation. The Prime Minister said that the arrears in buildings of all descriptions were largely because of the policy pursued in the past by the Government to which Mr. Hamilton and his associates belonged. Mr. Savage said that Mr. Hamilton eeemd more anxious to extend hours

of labour than anything else. There would be more houses built in New Zealand in the next 12 months than ever before in a similar period by the Government with which: Mr. Hamilton was associated in the past; he need not worry about that. “The Government realizes its obligations so far as housing is concerned,” said Mr. Savage. “We have a better organization than has ever existed in the history of this country. We are not satisfied any more than Mr. Hamilton is with the number of houses built. The Government has made tremendous progress in providing homes for the people, but uot enough to overtake the arrears. Perhaps Mr. Hamilton can search his own conscience and see what part he and his colleagues have played in this connexion. “There are arrears in every class of building, including schools and teachers’ residences. What can be more important than tire provision of these, for schools and teachers’ residences come a good second in importance after dwellings. It is in the dwelling that the child is born in the main, and in the school that its mind is moulded. Public buildings have also been allowed to fall into arrears to such an extent that we have not enough of them for tire country’s requirements.”

Mr. Savage said that in order to speed up building construction the Government bad had no alternative but to go to other lands to obtain men. It was not possible to train men fast enough to overtake arrears. It was worth while asking Mr. Hamilton wliat part he and others associated with him bad played in bringing about the present state of affairs. "Mr. Hamilton seems to lie worried more about increasing hours of labour than anything else,” said Mr. Savage. “Well, we are not going to increase hours of labour. Under abnormal conditions we will make the best arrangements possible. The men engaged on the construction of the Social Security building agreed to work under certain conditions because of the special circumstances that prevailed. To think about taking advtintage of the present, situation to increase hours of labour is to think about something that is not going to happen.”