THE 10 PER CENT CUT

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1931, Page 6

THE 10 PER CENT CUT

HOW THE LOAD IS DISTRIBUTED. Speaking in the Legislative . Council during the emergency session of Parliament a, few weeks ago, the Hon. R. Masters, while expressing regret at the necessity of reducing the wages and salaries of Civil Servants hy 10 l>er cent., gave a number of examples of much larger reductions in incomes suffered by primary producers. “Who makes it possible ,to pay the workers of this country,” he asked. “The answer is that the primary producers make it possible, and the reason why it is necessary to make a cut of 10 per cent, in the workers’ wages is that the primary producers are not getting the value for their produce today they have been receiving in the past. This reduction in revenue to the Dominion must necessarily affec-t the ability of the State and the separate employers to continue paying the present rate of wages.” The dairy producers, Mr Masters went on to say, were suffering a cut of 35 per cent, compared with their i return if 19125; the meat producers a I cut of 35 per cent., and the wool growers a cut of 73 per cent. Taking all groups'of primary producers they | had suffered an average of 49 per cent. These figures indicate a' decline in 'the ‘ gross income of the producers equal to a cut of just upon 50 per cent., and j yet there were people complaining that i the producers had reduced the workers’ . wages by 10 per cent.