SALARIES CUT.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 February 1922, Page 1

SALARIES CUT.

OPPRESSIVE AMENDMENTS. [B* TELEGRAPII—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION^ CHRISTCHURCH, Jan 31. The following resolution was passed at the Iron and Brass Moulders’ Union meeing on Thursday evening:—“That this Union strongly protests against the oppressive legislation as embodied in the proposed amendments to the Arbitration Act, and we are oognisant of the fact that it is a, united effort on the part of the Government and the employer so reduce wages and also the standard of living to the benefit of the employing class, and at the expense of the wage earners. And we reaffirm our opinion that no justice can be expect ed from any anti-Labour Government in the making of Labour laws, and wo urge the workers to enter their emphatic protest at next General Election hy returning official Labour members.”

A.S.R.S. OPPOSE CHANGE. WELLINGTON. Jan 31. Strong opposition is being expressed by members of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants against the proposal in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amenndment Bill to exclude the Society from having a vote in the election of the workers’ representative on the Arbitration Court. The amendment has been discussed by the A.S.TI.S. executive, which is still sitting in Wellington, and the Society’s yiqws have been placed before the Labour Bills Committee of the House of Representatives. While the merpbers of the Society do pot work under awards of the' Arbitration Court, they do make use of the Court in compensation cases, and for this reason they contend that they should have a' voice in the constitution of the Court. A member of tfie executive pointed out that oply recently the Society had two compensation cases before the Court in the South Island. This showed conclusively that the A.S.R.S. did go before tho Court, consequently the organisation should not be deprived of its voting power.

DUNEDIN PUBLIC SERVANTS. PROTEST AG A INST R EDUCTION. DUNEDIN, Jan. 31. The other evening a large gathering assembled here at the Empire Theatre, when Mr Moses Ayrton, general secretary of tho New Zealand Labour Party delivered an interesting’ address on the problems with which workers are faced at the present time.

Mr Ayrton first made it clear that his motive in coming to Dunedin was to weld together the men whose interests wore identical. He also stated that the Labour Party had no objection to the workers of any other country coming to New Zealand if they were really going to better themselves and not reduce the standard of living of the Dominion workers. But the-im-migrants at present arriving had not been told the truth regarding conditions here, and the Labour Party objected to this. The present crisis, declared Mr Ayrton, was caused by our foolishness in forgetting the basic fact that the world was one economic unit, and that to boycott one nation or body of men was to make all suffer. Trade could never he restored until Europe was restored, and the Treaty of Versailles would l<e better scrapped. The policy of the Labour Party was t!m war was a crime. There could lie no compromise about that. The world was to be made safe for democracy, but now die men who had made these promises i ivere doing their best to restore pie-] vnr conditions instead of pressing on| ouards better things. The Arbitra-I ion Court, he declared, was being used ! >y the employers for the purpose of reducing wages. There was no doubt that Mr Massey ami his party were very loyal to the class they represented—the wheat growers, sheep fanners, etc.—who had had no reason to complain during recent years, and now that money was scarce the Government was adopting in a bare-faced manner the policy of pursuing the line of least resistance by reducing the wages of the

workers. Bankers were never asked to reduce their huge rates of interest. How long, Mr Ayrton continued, would intelligent men and women hear with being in the hands of an unscrupulous few, who ordered their lives for them ? To join up with the Labour Party w. the workers only hope of fair treatment. Bv political and industrial organisation they could bring about the necessary alterations, instead of being at Die mercy of the few who lived by exploitation. The Labour Party constituted the only opposition to reactionary policies, and if the workers- would only open their eyes to Ibis fact and give it their whole-hearted support they could work on tt|ioir own salvation.

•At tile close of the meeting the !' I lowing resolution was moved by Mr John Gilchrist and seconded by Mr Reddington (representing the railway servants): “That, this meeting of representative citizens of Dunedin emphatically condemns the action of the Government in imposing on the public service a drastic reduction in salaries and wages; and, further, that in the opinion of this meeting the policy : reducing salaries and wages in preference to increasing taxation on large unearned incomes is -class legislation-, and contrary to the will of the majority of the people of this country.” The motion was carried upanjmously on a show of hands.

ALLIANCE OF LABOUR. WELLINGTON, Jan. 31. When the Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association held its last conference in Wellington, one of the subjects which received close attention Was a proposal that the organisation

should link up with tho Alliance of Labour. No definite decision was reached, the delegates considering that the various sections should be invited to express their views on the matter. It is understood that a largely-at-ttnded meeting of Wellington members of the Association was held in the

Town Hall Concert Chamber last night, at which a resolution was carried unanimously that the Associatioh should affiliate with the Alliance. Similar meetings have yet to be held throughout the Dominion, but it is thought that some time will elapse before the whole of the members of the Association have come to a definite decision on the point. The Alliance of Labour is considered to be tho most powerful, Labour organisation in the Dominion, and its membership already includes the seamen, watersiders. drivers. Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, miners, New Zealand Engineering Union, Slaughtermen. and tramwayinen.

POLICE VIEW. WELLINGTON, Jan. 31 The Government’s measures for reduction of salaries were discussed this evening, at a meeting of nipmbers of the police section of the Public Service Association , held .at the Police Library at Hie Central Station. The meeting was the largest ever held by the police section, over 50 members being present. A resolution was passed denouncing the action of various sections of the Civil Service throughout New Zealand .in advocating extreme measures in the event of salary reductions becoming law.