FALLACY OF HIGH PRICES.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 June 1920, Page 5

FALLACY OF HIGH PRICES.

NOT HELPING THE WORKER. PRODUCTION THE SECRET. Bj Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. Speaking generally on applications for increased wages and. bonuses before the Arbitration Court to-day, Mr. Cookson (the employers' representative) said that since the Court's last pronouncement some industries had to close down, and others had reached breaking point. If this caused unemployment it might have a serious effect. The president said that no doubt the position was difficult. The irony of the position seemed to be that the workers .were assisting greatly in increasing the cost of living against themselves. One ttile of all economists was more production. and the workers were insisting on higfier wages and shorter hours, and production was less. He did not know where it was going to land them. At a later stage Mr. J. T. Paul said that the increased cpst of living was bearing just as hardly on apprentices .is on journeymen. They were, in the majority of cases, the sons and daughters of the poorer classes. The President (Judge Stringer) said that the difficulty was .to interfere with contracts entered into. for a period of ; time. He appreciated what had been said, and the Court would look into the matter. Mr. A. Martin, representing the tailoring trade, said that apprentices did not come from the poorer classes in some ' cases. In the tailoring trade apprentices ! had a high school education. There was a great danger of boys and girls getting too much money. Mr. Paul remarked- that he had addressed the Court on the general question.