Arbitration Court and Minimum Wage.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1943, 27 November 1906, Page 2

Arbitration Court and Minimum Wage.

"(To the Editor Gisborne Times. Sir, -Your oomments on my letter havi failed to oonvinoe me that there is any. thing wrong in our awards in striking a minimum wage, because when the Court strikes a minimum rate it simply means that a oompetent workman must not be paid a lesser wage ; but there is nothing whatever to prevent an employer paying a superior workman more than the minimum wage, and because they don't usually do so it is no argument Bgainst the Aot, as also the oase you quote in Wellington, where the men struck because one man was being paid more than the others, is no argument whatever against the Ao>, and in support of my contention I will ask you to answor the following question: Were the men comp'yiog with the Arbi (ration Aot in going out on strike? If they were, then my argument falls to the I ground. You say, sir, that equal pay has become a settled thing under the Act for good and better men alike. This ttttement I beg to disagree with. Now, sir, in my eapaoity as secretary of the Carpenters' Union I have a lot to do with under-rate workmen, fo oiaim to be able to speak with a degree of certainty when I say that the Act does provide for men unable to earn the minimum wage, outside of those unable to earn it through old age or infirmity, and I can also inform you (which will surprise you no doubt) that half the carpenters in and around Gisborne are being paid a lesser wage than the minimum rate struck by the Arbitration Court. This I can prove by the names on my permit book. Now I ask in all fairness to the Arbitration Act, is this not a proof that incompetent men are being provided for ? You speak of the gap .in which your correspondent is anxious to drop himself, but I can assure you I am not at all anxious, as I would far sooner have someone else to fill the gap; hut as I have attempted to fill it, 1 hope to do so in as dispassionate a manner as possible, and try and bring every day facts only forward to bear out my statements,—l am, etc., C. CATTON, Secretary Carpenters’ Union, Gisborne, Nov 26th, 1906. [lt is regrettable, of course, that oui comments have not had the desired effect; but wo remember the old couplet Convince a man agains his will, And lie’sof the same opinion still. There is no occasion to repeat what we have already said. If our correspondent will but read that again and understand it nothing more need be said. If he is still inconvinced argument and fact will not

convince him. According to his argument the minimum wage becomes the maximum wage, and no one else thought of interpreting, the Act in that way—Tin. G ' T ‘l