STANDARD WAGES

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20281, 25 August 1937, Page 7

STANDARD WAGES

CASE FOR EMPLOYERS

FURTHER INCREASES OPPOSED (Special to Times.) AUCKLAND, Wednesday ** The trend under recent legislation has been to extend the Held of industry over which the court has a direct influence,” stated Mr D. I. Macdonald, secretary of the Canterbury Employers’ Association, in opening the employers’ case in the standard wage hearing at ttie Arbitration Court yesterday. “ The effect of the pronouncement of the court following the present hearing will therefore be more widespread than lias ever been the case in the past, and the Importance of the court fixing rates at levels appropriate to the economic condition of the country is there'fore probably greater to-day* than ever previously.” Various general wage movements which have taken place from time to time during the life - of the court up to the 1935 pronouncement were traced by Mr Macdonald. He submitted that generally the court’s present standard rates were:—Unskilled. 2s 0.2 d an hour; semi-skilled, 2s 1.3 d to 2s 4.05 d; skilled. 2s 5.7 d. These rates were arrived at by equating the 1925 figures to a 40-hour week from a 44-hour wee"k. The economio condition of the Al country was reviewed by Mr Macdonald. He submitted that at a time of rising prices such as the present, It was all the more' Important that the court should weigh most seriously the abllltv of New Zealand's industries both ‘to absorb, and at the same time flourish under, increased costs. Wages Increases could not fail to increase costs of production and in many cases such Increases were cumulative, lnIcreased costs and prices must In the end result In reduced consumption, followed by a falling-off In production and employment. He submitted that 'the present rates were sufficient and favoured an hourly basis. “ I consider that 4d to 5d an hour Is an ample margin to exist between the unsullied and the skilled rate in so far as any standard fixed by this court is concerned. The skilled worker Is almost invariably, and particularly in a boom period or period of inflation, able to command a much higher rate than his actual award rate,” concluded Mr Macdonald.