FEDERAL BASIC WAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1920, Page 5

FEDERAL BASIC WAGE.

I ANOMALIES OF SCHEME. By Telegraph.—Press Asan—CopyilgM. Melbourne. Nov. 25. According to a memorandum supplied to Mr. Hughes by the chairman of the Basic Wage Commission the suggested basic wage of £5 16s for all male workers was based on a typical family of a man, wife and three children. This meant that all families with more than three dhildren would suffer privation while those with below three would receive more than a living wage and the unmarried man would get what would support himself, a wife and three children. Working upon the 1011 •census of population the number of children per head of male population averaged .9, so that under the existent basic wage industries were paying for 450,000 nonexistent wives anil 2,190,000 non-exist-ont children. Again there was the quesiion of the automatic increase in the basic wage every quarter, so that the sovereign would always purchase the same amount of commodities. With every increase in tho wage would come an increase in prices, because Australia did not produce 'the required wealth. Under these automatic increases, by November. 1921. the basic wage would have risen to .£8 12s Gd. On the strength of these figures Mr. Hughes declared the problem insoluble and the position impossible. The work- I er was no better off from increased wages because of increasing prices.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. •Sydney, Nov. 25. The Federal Government has decided to pay Federal servants a basic wage of £4 4s from November 1.