KEEPING DOWN COSTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 2, 4 January 1939, Page 8

KEEPING DOWN COSTS

Since his assumption of the portfolio of Labour Mr. Webb has given evidence of a desire to come to grips with the many problems that are now his special care. His appeal for the' establishment and maintenance of harmonious' relations between employer and employee and the announcement of his plan to overcome the serious shortage of skilled tradesmen have been followed by a promise of an early inquiry into the costs of handling cargo on the waterfronts of New Zealand. Such an inquiry on a national basis is overdue, and'if it is undertaken in a comprehensive manner and with an open mind it should go a long way towards removing what has for too long been a just cause for complaint on the part of exporters, importers, and the public generally. Early this year the Wellington Harbour Board, through its executive officers, held an inquiry into certain aspects of the problem, naturally with special reference to the port of Wellington, but the full results of the investigation were not made known. Public discussions, however, showed plainly that the need for an overhaul of working conditions on the waterfront was urgent, not only in Wellington but in the other ports of the Dominion as well. In view of the inquiry which the Minister of Labour proposes to make, apparently as a.result of personal discussions with the interested parties, the present is not the time to endeavour to apportion the blame for the serious and costly delays which have taken place within the last year or so. That such delays must not be allowed to occur in the future is fully realised by the Minister, whose statement, published on Saturday, suggests that he is prepared to approach the problem with an open mind and not to allow preconceived ideas to influence him. Many comparisons, unfavourable to New Zealand, have been made of cargo-handling costs and times s here and in other countries. Now is the time for this matter to be fully investigated; for there can be no doubt that if the rate of handling or the cost per ton is high, if high wages are not accompanied by high efficiency in working, the cost must come back upon the whole community. Shipping, trading, and port authorities can give facts, and it is hoped they- will do so. There will be agreement with the' Minister's statement that the costs of loading and unloading cargoes must be kept down to a level consistent with reasonable 'pay and working conditions. Every time that costs on the waterfront are increased an additional burden is placed on industry, and plainly if industry is to survive, there must be a stopping

place. Often in the past delays in handling produce on the wharves have been due to an unwillingness, perhaps on the part of a minority, to accept conditions which have been agreed upon between representatives of the employers and employees. Mr. Webb has made it plain on several occasions that he has no patience with workers who make use of unconstitutional methods in an endeavour to secure their ends, and he has been strongly supported by leaders of industrial labour. There can be no doubt that he will also have the warm support of the great majority of the public, who will wish" him well in his latest move. The Minister has opened the way to a full and frank discussion of a serious and far-reaching problem, and he deserves the full co-operation of all concerned, fiis is another step towards the realisation of that full measure of industrial harmony which is essential if New Zealand is to maintain its present high living standards and encourage production to meet ever-rising social commit-

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