CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Hokitika Guardian, 22 December 1928, Page 7

CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA

AN OUTSPOKEN CRITICISM. AUCKLAND, Dec. 18. Conditions in Now South Wales are had. and the only gleam of light is the conciliation conference introduced with the view to getting the workmen and the employers together so that cadi might have a more intimate knowledge o. the other’s viewpoint, and that the workers might lie brought to realise that “go slow” methods and high wages load only to disaster and debacle. This is the opinion of Sir Arthur Cocks, ex-Lord Mayor of Sydney, and one of that city’s most prominent employers who was ouspoken on the conditions in Australia on his arrival from Sydney, by the Marania. “Australian people will not like what T say, hut I am going to say it,” he added. Sir Arthur said that New Soutli Wales was suffering from failure to recognise that governments cannot tax to pay for all humanitarian legislation, as it miht he described by a section of the community. When the (Government wanted to take, as it was doing from industry and the men who were shouldering the responsibility of producing such a large proportion of the carnnblo income, they killed the incentive, to expand.

“We have an extreme workers’ com. pensation Act that insurance companies would not look at at first, and child’s endowment that an insane Government thought, it could superimpose on industry of tli country without reducing the basic wage,” added Sir Arthur. “The basic wage in New South Wales on the basis of a man and liis wife and two children, is £1 os a week, and (50 per cent, of the workers have neither wife nor child. Humanitarianism is taking away the selfres]H*ct of the people.”

On top of all this they bad the new income lax bill revealing inexperience and ignorance, and brought forward in obstinacy. All these things, together with the excessivo rates and taxes, meant that at least 25 per cent, of the net profits of every company operating in Sydney wore claimed either by the Federal, State, or municipal authorities. 'riie losses the owner could carry himself. Sydney’s Big Four, including Sir Hugo Hirst, had struck a gleam of light, the idea of a conciliation .conference being credited to them. Sir Arthur added that this was the only gleam of light that lie saw.