GOT TO FACE FACTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1922, Page 2

GOT TO FACE FACTS.

WORKERS AND THEIR WAGES. ' ' PLAIN TALK BY ARBITRATION JUDGE. “I’m not going to be a fool because the men want to be foolish,” said Mr. Justice Frazer in the Arbitration Court at Christchurch last week. He was referring to a suggestion by Mr. A. Cook (workers’ representative) that inusterers and packers should be paid a daily rate as against a weekly rate. The employers opposed the proposal“We’ve got to face the facts.” said His Honor. “If union officials like to be foolish and to tell the men not to accept reasonable terms, the Court will advise the men to accept the terms. It is utter foolishness for union officials to tell the men such things.” Mr. W. H. Nicholson (for the employers) nodded assent, and Mr. Cook then went on to talk about periods of employment. “It is ridiculous to suggest that where weekly wages are paid there must be a six months’ term of employment,” said His Honor. “We have heard evidence that men were put off in slack times who might have been kept on doing odd jobs had they been paid weekly wagesI admit that conditions are improving, but they are not flourishing. We are all glad to see the improvement.” “Starvation wages,” muttered one of the Labor men in Court.

“The Court has not yet fixed starvation wages,” said His Honor. “The Court fixes wages with one eye on the cost of living and the other on the ability of the industry to pay • the wages; that is quite clear.”

Mr. Nicholson: After six months’ mustering a man may leave a station with £l7O in his pocket. In what other industry will you find that? The talk then turned to the respective positions of single and married men in the industry. “We know,” said the Judge, “that with the present conditions a married man has barely enough to live on. A single man’s expenses have increased but little- He is getting just the same as a married man, and he has money to .burn; he can spend it on picture shows, theatres, and (with a smile) riotous living generally. He is very well off, and that is why so much attention has been paid to the suggestion that the basic wage should be wiped out. and a wage fixed calculated to keep a man and his wife without children. Children would be regarded as a national asset, and would be paid for out of a special fund. There is no doubt that a married man requires larger wages than a man with no responsibilities. A single man goes mustering, and at the end of that time, goes away and lifts a good time. The disproportion has been accentuated.”