BRITISH WAGES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12538, 8 May 1915, Page 7

BRITISH WAGES.

•'Engineering," the leading technical journal", has given some very remarkable results of inquiries which it has made. Though this is. war-time, many men are . working little —if at all — harder than under peace conditions. Every report received indicates that there is slackness in many trades. Be it remembered-tha-t .high wages can bo earned; ': .for relatively unskilled, although somewhat arduous, work, 30s a day is paid. . Time and'.a-'.quarter to time and a half is paid for.. • Saturday afternoon work, and double time for _Sunday work/ Men could earn'from £7 to £lO per week—and pay no income tax. , Men will work on Saturday and Sun. clay, when thev get handsomely paid, but will absent themselves on other davs, or parts of days. - ' i . the .head -of a firm, who has shown a splendid example in his work, and is mest kindly disposed to all workers, states "in his'-.' reply to us: —'.'Our trouble is principally with the ironworkers, especially riveters, who appear to have a- definite standard of living, and ' who. regulate their wages accordingly; thev seem to aim at making '£3 oer- week; if they • can make this in four days, good and well: but if thev can. make- it in three days, -better" still. ..vl -The average working man .of to-day .does not wish to 'earn' more money, and put>by something, for a "rainy' day/' but; is quite content to.'live:froin hand to mouth, so long as he has as easy a .time as : possible.'' <• ~ .. All this means (says/Mr Archibald ■Hurd; in-..the- Daily Telgerapb) that though -we. are fighting for existence, and though we-possess unrivalled re- ■ sources in. our. great industries, the day of victory is -being postponed l —owing to slackness in the army at the base. The brothers, .cousins, and-, friends or. the workers'are at sea or at the front, dependent on all kinds of supplies. The a'rmv now facing the enemy is. waiting for reinforcements, but their despatch niust-Jbe delayed by every hour which is spent by the industrial, army, in pleasure which could, without injury to health, be devoted to work. Since this was published, cable messages have been received showing that in "a number'of trades the workers have rallied patriotically, and determined to co-operate loyally with.their ' comrades at the front.