WORK AND WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 270, 15 April 1914, Page 5

WORK AND WAGES.

•' BUSINESS CAN'T STAND IT." SIX DAYS A WEEK, AND HIGHER WAGES.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. As a result of granting a six-days' week and the increased wages to hotel employees by the Arbitration Court, the third-class hotels in the city will raise their tariff by one shilling per day. The proposed application for an award on similar lines to hotel workers for the employees of private hotels and restaurants is likely to be strongly opposed. The proprietress of a leading private hotel to-day stated that it would be practically impossible to carry on the business if the proposed award were brought into force. Licensed houses, she said, had their bar trade to fall back on, and were infinitely better alile to abide by the six days a week award ami higher wages than unlicensed houses. Most of the private hotels had all their work cut out to pay their way at all, and it would simply mean ruination to some of them if the new terms were enforced. The cry of ''raise the. tariff" was quite untenable, us if this were done it would mean that a large section of the public with limited means, who were unable to stop at more expensive accommodation houses, would be unable to travel at all. The oilly method that private hotels could adopt in the cuttiiig--jlown of expenses was to put on a less attractive "table," and once a house sustained the stigma of a "bad table,'' it. was at a very serious disadvantage. Conparison of the wages proposed uudcri the now schedule aiul those already in existence showed a number of increases. "In my own case," she said, "I have worked the matter out, and estimate that if the new award comes into operation it will cost me an additional £2BO in the year's expenses, and the busine-s (simply won't be able to stand it."