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Work and Wages.
IT is always pleasanter to be in a
position to raise wages than to
lower them, and we may be sure the
Industrial Court judges were perform.
ing an unpleasant duty last week when
they reduced the basic wage in ac
cordance with the reduced cost of
living. One matter of vital importance
was touched upon by the President of
the court (Mr. Justice Webb) when he
referred to the anomaly of allowing a
single man without dependents the
same wage as a married man with a
wife and three children, whilst also
failing to make extra provision for a
married man with a wife and more
than three children. The economic
experts who are assisting to arrive at
some definite procedure for the balanc
ing of the Budgets have expressed the
«ef that a further cut of 20 per
t. in the expenditure of Common
wealth and States is essential, and
they have also pointed out where much
money is being wasted by overlapping
and by loose methods of financing that
were not questioned when times were
prosperous—or seemed to be prosperous
—but that are making themselves felt
now that the economic shoe is begin
ning to pinch. Surely now is the time
when these anomalies should be tackled.
High wages may be more economic
than low wages; it is the actual re
turn for the sum paid that counts.
In Australia under many awards the
man who works hard and efficiently
draws the same amount in his pay
envelope as the man who is lazy and
takes no trouble to make himself ef
ficient. In all countries attention is
now being given to reduce cost of
production; the world's purchasing
power has declined, and the market
goes' to the goods that are most
economically produced. Australia de
pends upon her wool, wheat, and other
primary products to pay for her im
ports, and she cannot afford, in the
face of rival competition, to continue
the loose and uneconomic methods to
which the arbitration court judges and
the investigating experts have called
attention. Hard' work may save Aus
tralia, but hard work will get a better
chance to do so when wasteful methods
, have been eliminated, and when the
hard worker gets the incentive of the
reward to which he is entitled.
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