Arbitration Court.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 May 1922, Page 2

Arbitration Court.

N.Z. BONUS REDUCTIONS. j (BY TELEQHAPIi PKU PRESS ASSOCIATION] AUCKLAND May 8. The Arbitration Court has completed its pronouncement regarding the cost of living bonus late to-night. The Court lias decided to reduce the remuneration of adult males by 5s week, lv. The wages of adult females are reduced by 2s 6d a week and those of juniors by Is 6d. A general order, operative from May 15th, will he issued. The Court deals with the arguments adduced by both the parties at the conference in Wellington.The Court holds that the eihployfers’ arguments in svipi>ort of a deduction of 13s per week as fallacious. Likewise. ' it cannot uphold the workers’ opposition to any reduction whatever in tvages. . . • . i The Court reviews, at length, the economic and financial conditions affecting trade and industry in New Zealand and savs that the fall in prices has been felt most severely by the farmer, while the manufacturer, the merchant, and the retailer are, in turn all affected by the position of the farmer. Practically the whole of the country’s export trade is in the products of the soil, and to n very iarge extent, though not altogether, the purchasing power o! the community depends on that of the farmers. The general outlook for the manufacturing and building trades is similarly complicated, by a deliberate restriction of purchases that is now

operating. i The Court stresses the necessity for improved efficiency in production. It says that the truth must be grasped that, the interests of the' employer and the worker are identical in the matter of meeting competition. In order to meet competition and to stimulate trade a reduction in production costs is essential. It would, the Court believes, be beneficial if wages were to drop 10s weekly but a reduction of that amount would involve a reduction below the cost of living level, which, though it would probably be Only temporary, would nevertheless press hardly on a considerable section of the worker*. A brightening outlook, ufid aft improving efficiency were, in the Court’s opinion, factors that it ought to regard as indicating the situation is not so serious as to justify a reduction in wages beyond the amounts disclosed by the cost

of living figures.