WAGE BILL TOO HIGH

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 452, 8 June 1937, Page 5

WAGE BILL TOO HIGH

COUNTRY CANNOT STAND STRAIN

Life “One Long Smoko” Press Association—Copyright. Dunedin, June 7. Declaring that the county was.' unable to stand the strain of its If - sent wage bill, considering the amount of work done by the men, who seemed' to regard life as “one long smoko,” Mr R. J. E. Smith (president of the Otago provincial council of the Farmers’ Union) in the course of an a.ddres.s-4p the annual conference to~night, said New Zealand would eventually have to face a very serious position, which would react very unfavourably on primary industry and the man on the land. ■“Some months ago,” said Mr Smith’ “an Empire conference was held in New Zealand, and one., of the delegates, a prominent visitor from Great Britain, is. reported to have made the following remarks: ‘New Zealand is a young country. Your national and local body, indebtedness is just about’ the highest in the world. If I ever got into debt I think I would take my coat off and work hard in an endeavour to put things right. How do you expect in a young country like yours that you are ever going to get out of the position you are in when you pay your unemployed 16s a day and you introduce a 40-hour week.” “I cannot let this l 'occasion pass without expressing grave concern at the tremendous amount of unproductive expenditure that is going on in New" Zealand. I know that a lot of the expenditure will ultimately lead to improvements in main highways, etc., but I question if this country can at this stage stand the strain of its present wage bill for the very small amount of work that is being accomplished in return,”