THE BOROUGH STAFF.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 9 May 1913, Page 4

THE BOROUGH STAFF.

The • Masterton Borough Council probably did the right thing an postponing the application of its employees for an increase in wages until the next meeting, for the mew members of the Council could hardly be expected to arrive at a decision without giving full consideration to the .matter. An important point for discussion is whether the working staff is so organised that the ratepayers are receiving full value for the money expended upon it. Once this is determined -uere should not, as we said in a previous issue, be much difficulty in arriving at a decision on the* wageg question. We can hardly see the force of the Mayor's contention that the Masterton borough workmen are paid as big wages as the workem, in other boroughs. That, to our mind, is no answer to the demand for better Mages. What the Council has to decide is whether £2 14s per week is a living wage in Masterton for a man with a family. We contend most emphatically that it is not. Manual labour may not be worth as much as what is termed skilled labour. The niantial labourer, however, has to pay his way and And food, clothing and school-books for his children. He is an asset as well tts a necessity to the borough, and he should be paid a wag* sufficient ta enable kim to live decently.;