AWARD WAGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 September 1940, Page 9

AWARD WAGES

FARMERS CONDEMN RECENT INCREASE. NEED FOR STABILISATION (By Telegraph—Press Association.) PALMERSTON N.. September 4. The granting of the recent 5 per cent increase in award wages is considered by the Manawatu provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union to be unsound in principle and unfair in its application. At a meeting of the executive today three remits from the Shannon, Levin and Aokautere branches—bearing on the wage increase, were tabled, and after being referred to a sub-commit-tee, a motion was adopted which was afterward telegraphed to the Dominion president of the union, Mr W. W. Mulholland, at the National Economic Conference in Welington. The motion was: “That this meeting considers that the granting of the recent 5 per cent increase in award wages is unsound in principle and unfair in its application. The Government has failed in its promise to stabilise prices, and has prejudiced the call for increased production by further embarrassing the farmer by increased costs. The farmer is answering the call for increased production, and is •not considering extra hours of work, and naturally expects other sections of the community to do likewise, as it is a national war effort. We are not looking for increased prices, but if other sections obtain them, then, in the interest of industry itself, we and the farm workers should share in the increase.”