WAGES ORDER

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21189, 12 August 1940, Page 8

WAGES ORDER

EMPLOYERS’ APPEALS HEARING TO BE EXPEDITED APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPTION (By Telegraph.—Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Monday An indication that the Arbitration Court would hear as soon as possible employers' applications for exemption from the general wage increase order was given by Mr Justice Tyndall to-day. His Honour said the Court had made no definite fixtures for its visit to Auckland, and there would be opportunity in Wellington to deal with any applications for exemption within the next two weeks. The Court would do its utmost to complete the hearings as soon as possible. At the end of the hearing of the Otago-Southland butter factory managers’ dispute, Mr D. I. Macdonald asked that any clause relating to the wage increase in this or other awards shortly to be issued should be worded ir. such a way that it would not prevent the parties from applying for exemption if they wished.

HOPES OF LABOUR , AMOUNT DISAPPOINTS REPLY TO QUERY (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Monday Commenting on the wage rise, Mr F. D. Cornwell, secretary of the Federation of Labour, said the amount of the increased granted was disappointing and not as great as had been hoped. It was considered that the circumstances justified an increase of at least 7A per cent. Mr Cornwell said the Federation of Labour had been approached by business people raising the question of whether workers now receiving more than the rates prescribed by their awards should also be paid the cost of living bonus. The reply had been given that if these workers had been worth say 10s a week above the award rates in the past, there was no reason why they should not continue worth the extra, plus the bonus. EVIDENCE IGNORED SURPRISE OF EMPLOYERS DISCOURAGEMENT IN STRUGGLE (By Telegraph.—Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Monday “Employers and all who are carrying the responsibility for the Dominion’s economic maintenance will be concerned at the Court’s decision to grant an all-round increase of 5 per cent on present wage rates from today, said Mr W. Machin, president of the Employers’ Association, in criticising hte Arbitration Court wage increase. “I have examined most carefully the Court’s stated grounds for this decision,” said Mr Machin, “and am surprised that much material evidence—not controverted at the hearing—should have been ignored by the Court, and further that assumptions concerning the future which witnesses would not accept were used in part by the Court to justify the increases awarded. % Dulling of Enthusiasm “There are very many employers and others who will be discouraged in their struggle to make ends meet under the present difficult conditions, and I still say this discouragement will be a factor in dulling the enthusiasm for more production. “The wage-earners have succeeded in getting others to pay their shilling in the pound of extra taxation, and many who will sadly help to pay this, in addition to their own extra tax, are people with small fixed incomes who have been wageearners in the past.”