THE BASIC WAGE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 134, 3 December 1929, Page 12

THE BASIC WAGE

LABOUR DESIRES HIGHER LEVEL The Labour Party, said Mr. Walter Nash, speaking in the King George Theatre, Lower Hutt, last night, wants a minimum basic wage to be fixed by the Arbitration Court at such a level that the workers and their families will be able to obtain all the necessaries of life without the worry that they have to-day. Taxation, he argued should be levied in accordance with ability to pay, and the tax on the higher incomes chould be increased to relieve the load now carried by the workers.

Mr. Nash dealt at length with the Public Service salary "cuts." He detailed the history of the question since the "cuts" were made, and spoke of Labour's consistent efforts to obtain a restoration of the Public servants' salaries to the 1914 level. Both the United Party and the Reform Party had had it m their power to do justice to the Civil, servants, but had not done so. The Labour Party's efforts on behalf of the Civil servants was only a reflection of their efforts for all workers, especially the lower-paid ones. __On the subject of unemployment, Mr Nash saicl the community had a duty to provide work for those able and willing to do it. Failing this, support should be provided for the unemployed Labour proposed to do that by means of a contributory insurance scheme under which employees, employers, and the Government would pay in equally to a fund from which the unemployed could be helped. Some anomalies in the pension system were pointed out by Mr. Nash, who said pensioners ought to be allowed to supplement their meagre pensions without having them reduced when they earned extra money. Injured workers should get full medical expenses and full wages, instead of £1 medical expenses and two-thirds wages, as at present.

A vote of thanks and confidence was earned by acclamation, there being only a few dissentients. Sir Alexander Boberts, Mayor of Lower Hutt presided. l