N.Z. MINIMUM WAGE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 March 1930, Page 1

N.Z. MINIMUM WAGE

NOW THE MAXIMUM. Gly Telegraph—Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 18. In the course of.Tiis address in the Arbitration Court to-dav, urging the adoption of a new Dominion award for the carpenters and joiners, Air T. Bloodworth commented on the general position of industry in New Zealand during the past ten years. The facts, he said, showed that the Arbitration Court’s policy had been to fix minimum wages.at what the court estimated would maintain a fair standard of living, and for that purpose it was assumed by the Court that the 391-1 standard was a fair standard. The Court did that thinking that it would thus allow for two things. The first and most important was that production would ibe kept at such love] as to encourage an expansion of industry, thereby ensuring employment for all. The second reason was, as stated by Mr Justice Frazer, a few days ago in Auckland. The Court fixed rates which, while being fair to the workers, would not be unduly oppressive to the employer, but which would not be so high as to prevent him from paying more to those employees ■who were deserving of more, or, if trade were especially good, to all his employees. !< I think we. are entitled to say that the Court’s policy, so far as its effect on the worker is concerned, has failed in both respects,” said Mr Bloodworthy. “Industry has expanded but there has not been a sufficiency of employment, and, owing to the pressure of the unemployed on the employed, the Court’s minimum wage has become the actual wage paid to a much greater extent than the court itself realises. Ido not blame the Court entirely for this. I know that there are other factors, hut I submit that the court, with is decisions, is the greatest single factor within New Zealand affecting our industrial affairs, and that the policy which this court adopts in the matter of wafees goes a very long way towards determining whether industry in New Zealand shall be prosperous and the workers employed or depressed and the workers unemployed, and I think the policy of the past ten years is, by statistics and events, proved to ha\ t been a wrong policy.” Mr Bloodworth then proceeded to urge an increase in wages, and expressed the belief that it would be in tho interests of New Zealand if the court reconsidered its standard minimum wage, and avoided a hiji.. i wage. He emphasised America’s example in paying high wages and commented on the prosperity of that county- _