POLITICAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9118, 18 June 1908, Page 5

POLITICAL.

THE ASHBURTON SEAT. BT TELMRAPH—-PHKBB ASSOCIATION. ASHBURTON, June 17. Mr W. Nosworthy, sheepfarmer, of Anama, to-day, announced his candidature as a straight-out Oppositionist for the A'shburton seat. This brings the total number of candidates announced to six, the other five being —Mr F. R. Flatman (Government nominee), Mr Henry Davis, Mayor of Ashburion (Libera',), Mr J. D. Goffc, Ashburton (Labour League), Mr W. S. Mas]in, Ger<ddine (Oppositionist), and Mr J. M. Twomey, of Temuka, who enters the field as a stern opponent of Mr Flatman. Mr David Jones, of Weedons, has also been approached, and is considering the question. THE PREMIES AT TE KUITI. TE KUITI, June 17. Speaking at Te Kuiti, last night, the Premier, indicates that the present system of public auditing would be further improved as he proposed bringing down during the coming session a complete change in the system of auditing public accounts. All accounts woulu in future be audited after payment instead of before. It was also proposed to bring down a proposal for universal annuities. All branches of the Civil Service were

now under a superannuation system and a large number of other people had the right to expect similar compensation. For some time pajt. he had been trying to perfect a scheme, and was going t« bring down a measure which would result in all old people being able to look forward to some old age provision of a similar nature.

Sir Joseph also indicated the probability of sonie amendment durii.g the coming session in the Conciliation and Arbitration laws. DR. FINDLAY AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON. June 17. The Hon. Dr. Findlay delivered a speech in Wellington to-night, supplementing his recent Wanganui speech, and rcrilying to criticism thereon.

In regard to the assertion that sweating had been abolished by the Factories Act, not the Arbitration Act, ha pointed out that the wages of tailoressrs unci factory hands were raised by the Arbitration Courfc years before the passing of the Factories Act of 1901. During thirteen years there had been eighteen strikes—all really small and shortlived—and only twelve of these had been illegal. In these strikes less than one per cent, of the total wage*earners had been involved, while the days of idleness due to them we>e few. In Britain during a given decade twenty per cent, of the workers were at some tiire or other directly involved in la'mur con diet and the average days of idleness was 39 rer man.

Dr. Findlay repeated and amplified his argument at vVanganui that the increase in thi cos*; of living was due only in a very small degree to the Abritration Act. It was duo main'y to the enhanced nrices of finds to fir, in foreign markets, and the great increase in the ummn'-oved value o. land and coat of building material. Thi speaker admitted that the Conciliation Boards had entirdly faned to achieve the results anticipated by Mr Reeves. Some effective method of enforcing fines short of i nprisonment was urgently required. He thought the provision in the Ait preventing victimising needed, amendment. Or. Findlay quoted statistics compiled from Income Tax figures showing that various trading and industrial concerns are assessed on £7,775,579, but allowances for interest and rent would considerably reduce these profits. He did not assert that the great body of workers was receiving wages which justified no increase, but unless more wealth was produced by increased effort and co-operation on the part of both employers and employees there was not much prospect of any marked rise in general level of workers' wages. Dr. Findlay then asked what was to guide the Arbitration Court in fixing wages. He dismissed the profit sharing - principle as impossible. In his belief if compulsory arbitration was to continue, it must continue to be a wage regulator, and the best standard for its guidance was a double, or rather a primary and a supplementary standard. The primary standard should be the needs of workers, and the wage based on it should be rot a bare subsistence wage, but one which would allow for all conientional decencies essential to the workers' self respect. The needs wage should be supplemented by an exertion wage, providing for excra payment for extra work. The practice of paying a premium wage to one or two operatives in order to far re the pace had been rightly condemned by trade unions.

A resolution of confidence in the Government was carried at the conclusion of the speech.