THE WAGES GAP

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 229, 28 September 1926, Page 8

THE WAGES GAP

BETWEEN AUSTRALASIA AND EUROPEi. AVIDENING MAY AIEAN DISASTER. Amongst the arguments adduced at Wellington reoently in the Court of Arbitration against increasing the wages of cooks aiul stewapls, Mr W". G. . Smffch said i "Tlie Court iu its recent award for laborers for Wellingtoto Gisborne, Arckland, and AVangauui, has pointed out flint there is, in the ulitniato analysis, a heoessary c'onnection hetween production aud wage s; and whil e tlie Court 'has to some extent disregarcled this t'actor in bringing Ihe miiiimum grade unslalled worker up to the standard of living (measured hy purohasing power) tliat he enjoyed in 1914, it cannot at preseiit gO1 further. The carning power of shipping has 'dimihished to a very large extent during the post-war years, and in ihe Pacihc Trades tlie competition with British and foreign sliipe rUnnirig un'der' much less onerous conditions aird paying: much smaller wages than New Zealand sliips has been very fierce indeed. Only last montli an American firm, Swayne and Hoyt, have a.nnounced an in-crea-sed service to New Zealand from Paciflo ports, making it a. fortnightly instead of a monthly service. In this connection I would refer to the recently published annhal report of thei Australian Tariff Board in which the board strongly emphasised its opinion that tlie industrial unions of the Commonwealth should be induced to realise the critical positioa into which the Conimonwealth was drifting, and the absolute neoessity for preventing the wages gap, from becoming still wider between Britain and the Continent of Europe and the Comxnonwealth . "Otherwise, the Tariff Board, placed as it- is in the position to make a comprehensive and intimate view of all Australian industry, can see ' no thing but economio disaster ahead, and that at no very distantdatc. This statement is quite as applicable to New Zealand as- to Austi'.alia." '