THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1927. THE FREEZING WORKS AWARD.

Wairarapa Age, 7 March 1927, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1927. THE FREEZING WORKS AWARD.

The award of the Arbitration Court in the dispute between the freezing workers and their employers is a document "that may be expected to give rise to a good deal .of detail discussion. Its outstanding feature is that in face of the evidence led on behalf of primary producers, the Court has increased the present wage rates of freezing workers by approximately four per cent. As His Honour, Mr. Justice Frazer has been at some pains to point out, the additional burden thus imposed on farmers, assuming that the increase is passed on, is not very large. It is appreciably less than the burden imposed by the shearing award of last year, which increased wage rates by ten per cent. The view taken by farmers, however, is and has been that their industry in its present state should be immune from the imposition of additional burdens.

In one passage of his award, Mr. Justice Frazer mildly rebukes the farmers 7 organisations which, during the pendency of the proceedings in the freezing workers’ dispute have been passing resolutions, calling, some of th cm, for the repeal of ths Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. It is unfortunate, His Honour observes, that “at such a time any concerted auction should have taken place that might have had the appearance of being intended to intimidate or influence the Court.” This, of course, is a matter between the Court and the farmers’ organisations. We refer to it only tO: suggest that the issue between farmers and. the Court is much too broad to be affected materially by the course of any one dispute. As we understand the position, this issue arises out of a contention by farmers that the basis on which the Court is working is at all times and in all cases Unfair to their industry—that is to say, it is contended that the Court is fixing wages without taking sufficient account of the interests of farming industry, and. that the general effect of its awards is to put the farmer at a disadvantage as compared with other sections of the community. The President of the Court, in the course of the freezing worker*’ award, observes that the factor of the 'dost of living does not enter so largely into the consideration ;of the Court as is sometimes thought. The other factors , considered, he adds, “are the general financial and economic conditions affecting trade and industry, the tates s»f wages generally paid to workers of similar grade, and the desirability of having a definite standard.” These claims, as they are amplified in the award, are of course entitled to careful SRxanunation and consideration. If. however, the President of the C&urt is jgontending that the basis on

which wages are being fixed is In all respects adequate and complete, he has rot obviously made out his case. The Court appears to be still considerably short of taking such account of the factors of national industry and its product as to be able to make a really equitable adjustment as between wage-earners and other sections of the community—particularly farmers. The question of making such an adjustment possible undoubtedly is one of imperative urgency.