WAGES REDUCTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3854, 6 October 1928, Page 3

WAGES REDUCTION.

IN THE FLAXMILLING INDUSTRY. A Dunedin contemporary referring to the flax-workers agrement to accept a ten per cent reduction in wages to enable the flax mills to be kept working, says: — "The flaxmill workers have agreed to accept a reduction in wages rather than allow their industry to be closed down. It is hardly arguable that when workers in times of difficulty in any industry agree to a reduction in wages in preference to allowing, the industry to be destroyed they render a benefit to the industrial classes as a whole. There can be no desire to disregard the value of high wages nor is a high wages system uneconomic provided the output is commensurate Avith the maintenanpe of it. But there will be a great deal of hesitation on the part of workers themselves to accept the view of the Leader of the Labour Party that unless an industry can afford to pay its employees more than 13/6 per day it would be better that it should cease to exist and that the men who are engaged in it should be forced to join the ranks of the unemployed.” “Our contemporary,” (says the Eltham ArgusJ “is not quite correct in suggesting that there will be a great deal of hesitation on the part of the workers to accept the view of the Leader qf the Opposition that unless an industry can afford to pay its employees more than 13/6 per day it would be better that it should cease to exist and that the men who are engaged in it should be forced to join the ranks of the unemployed. Unfortunately, it has been found only too easy to induce Labour to accept such views. The doctrine has been openly preached in Parliament and from Labour platforms that unless an industry can pay what certain people think is a necessary wage, then it Avere better that the industry should die. Such doctrinaires would rather see one man employed at £6 per week than see two engaged at £3. Of course they are at liberty to hold and preach such doctrine, but it is not a wise one, nor Avould it be accepted by so many of the workers Avere they not afraid of the terrors of their unions.”