REDUCING PRODUCTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1921, Page 5

REDUCING PRODUCTION.

AUSTRALIAN HIGH COURT WARNS UNIONS. Sydney, Dec. 6. The danger of decreasing production, and the menace in this direction by the reduction of working hours to 44 per week was the warning given to unions in the judgment of the Commonwealth Arbitration Court in regard to a case brought by a number of unions against the Pastoralists’ Federation and other respondents, applying for the application of the 44 hours week. The judgment of the Court was summed up as follows:—“We are not satisfied that any of the reductions in the standard hours of work asked for should be imposed upon employers at the present time.” The president (Mr. Justice Powers) ■dealt with reports from various parts of the world as to trade conditions and wages. He said that hours had increased since November, 1920, and .wagas had been reduced elsewhere to an alarming extent, considering the higher rates paid here. It was useless, he said, for union leaders to assert that ail this was being caused by a conspiracy of capitalists. In September, wages were at their highest peak throughout the world. Since that time, rates of wages had dropped in all countries, and the hours of labor had increased, except in Australia. His Honor quoted figures to show that Australian manufacturers had to compete on shorter hours and 1920 wages, with manufacturers elsewhere who could sell their goods at nearly half the price they did in the previous September. Conditions in Australia had materially altered, and many of the largest steel works and mining plants had closed down because of the low prices for metals. Tn September. 1920, the percentage of unemployed in the Commonwealth was slightly over six, and in September .of this year, it was over eleven. Considering all things,, the Court was not justified in adding to the abnormal employment by reducing the Standard hours. Every industry in Australia was less prosperous chan it was in 1920. and employers and employees would have to do their best to prevent widespread unemployment. His Honor said he did not see how Australia could continue so successfully to compete with other countries unless the men generally worked their best, and produced at least as much per man as they did in 1913. The quickest way to shorten hours for all workers was for each worker to do his best in working hours without working unreasonably hard, and for the union leadeis to allow that to be done, and to allow piece work under proper safeguards, as in England and U.S.A. Any other course must result in keeping workers all their lives on a fixed wage, and keep workers on a, dead level.