RENT AND WAGES.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 February 1924, Page 2

RENT AND WAGES.

THE COURT’S DATA

WELLINGTON. Feb. 7. Tin- pronouncement issued by the Arbitration Court on Tuesday with regard to the rent question was the subject of an official statement, made today, bv the National .■secretary ol the New Zealand Labour Partv, Air Vi • Nash. The Arbitration Court’s latest statement with regard to rent statistics, said Air Nash, is correct at one point. The Judge states, in fact, that there is no material statement in this document that has not. appeared, in somewhat different language, in one or other of I lie Court’s cost of living pronouncements. A complete and careful analysis of the statement confirms this quotation. It is not possible l" find any new material that will deal up the mailer to the satisfaction of the workers. The position, liowevei. that has arisen with regard to these figures is fraught, with the gravest danger as far as the Judiciary of New Zealand is concerned. The facts at present available lend to prove that the figures used by the Court when assessing the basic wage were m error, and this error has occasioned a serious loss to the workers, amounting. in all. to over two millions sterling. The conclusion as to this loss is fairly sound on the evidence at present disclosed. Air Nash then proceeds to recapitulate the circumstances under which An Bromley, the secretary of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council, asked the Court to furnish certain figures regarding the basic wage and the reasons which the Court gave lor ix!using them. Had these figures been given, Air Nash claims, the nuttier would have been cleared up Hie question now at ire tie it- "fietfic; dm Arbitration Court Hi. most iniet Hunt sectun ui our judiciary -a far ar, the workers are formation the cr- -t What would he the fccLi.e ::: Now Zealand. asks Air Nasii, if a Judge ot the Supreme Court witli-lield evidence which would alter a previously delivered judgment. Let us cite a similar ease, A claim is made for a certain sum of money. The judge, in giving his verdict, states that it is based on the evidence of one witness. After a period of time this witness publicly announces that ihe evidence which he gave has been discovered to he in error. In disclosing this evidence, lie uiiiiouneos that his position prevents him trom supplying the actual figures, but application should he made to the Court. Ihe actual evidence required to convince the average layman is supplied to the judge who tried the case. He (the judge) is asked to make this evidence public, hut lie states lie will not consider whether lie will do so or not until the person who lias applied lor the information apologises lor an insult, which, the judge agrees was never intended. if the figures will establish a case for the Court, why are they not published 'i If they do not establish a case, should not an immediate effort he made to rectify the error.’'

Continuing, Air Nash claims that the most recent pronouncement of the Court does not add anything to the evidence already disclosed, and then summarises as follows:

fl) The report of the Government Statastician stated that the rent figures supplied to the Court have unduly retarded the rent index. (2) This error has continued from April 1921, at least.

(11) The workers would understand the ease fairly clearly if the figures on which the basic wage was assessed were given in sterling. (4) The Court's statement of the 19th. October last, says tliat an increase of rent by 12 per cent, bad prevented a further decrease in wages ol 6s. This would suggest that it is possible to give the figures in sterling. (5) Confidence in the Judiciary is the first essential to good Government.

(0) Insurance, interest, and other incomes increase proportionately to the cost of building. Therefore the worker who owns his borne is penalised equally to those (laying rent. “Arbitration is essential under our present system." concluded Mr Nash.

“The two methods at present in operation are direct negotiation lstween the employers and the workers, and the Arbitration Court as at present constituted. One prime essential for the latter is confidence. This confidence can only be greeted by the fullest publicity lieing given to all the data on which the Court's decisions are based, and there is apparently no reason why this data- should he with-held.