The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-11-10

AUSTRALIAN capitalism is experiencing an
n unprecedented crisis at the present time. The
prices of its main exports wool and wheat have
fallen senSationaly. Not only has the price
of wheat slumped but considerable difficulty is
being found in disposing of it at all. Quite
large percentage of last years crop is unsold
and the new harvest will be here shortly. There
has been over-production in almost every in
dustry and the prohibitive tariff put into oper-
alton by the Federal Government has not al
leviated the situation to any extent: In fact,
conditions are becoming worse every week.
Immense difficulties are confronting the Gov
eminent in meeting the huge interest payments
in London So serious has the crisis become
that a director of the Bank of England, Sir
Otto Niemeyer, better known as the bailiff, re-
Gently came out to Australian order to dictate
the policy of British financiers to the Federal
Labor Government.
There are more workers unemployed than ever
before in the history of Australia. According
to the government statistician 10 per cent Of
trade unionists are unemployed, and it is es-
timated that the unemployed army is over $780,
600 strong.
Following on the defeat of the timber workers
last year and the miners of the northern coal
fields of New South Wales who were bludgeoned
back to work in June of this year, after a six
the workers has been attacked in turn.
Boss Attacks.
The Federal Arbitration Court under the re-
girne of the Labor Government has been used to
attack the metal workers, the New South Wales
tramwaymen and the shearers. The metal work.
ers lost many conditions which they had won
In years gone by. Tramwaymen have been placed
on SO hour week instead of the former A hour
e1,o ~, all +ofa
Queensland have been given an award provid-
ing for 20 per cent reduction in rates.
Queensland.
IN Queensland the Arbitration Court has
dered 48 hour week Tin place of Az for many
government employees including large section
of railway workers. The basic wage was re-
Gently lowered by shillings to pounds a week
and the court practically promised to reduce
the basic wage by another shillings in october.
The court is now engaged in reducing the wages
of Public Servants. The Judge said in this case
before he had ever heard any evidence that it
would be hypocritical for him to say that he had
not made up his mind to reduce wages. The
only question he was doubtful about was the
amount of the reduction.
Hours Grow.
In New South Wales the Nationalist Govern
ment has passed an Act Of Parliament length
ening hours of work by per week or alterna-
lively reducing wages by hours pay per week.
The same act also gives the employers the right
to ration" work. That is to say any employer
can lay off his workers for any portion Of a
week, or Of day. without any obligation to
pay wages for the time so lost The result is
thousands of workers are forced to exist on con-
siderably less than the amount ascertained by
the Arbitration Court to be the minimum subsist-
ence wage "in civilized community" The New
South Wales Government has reduced wages
of Public Servants quite large section of the
workers in a country like this where industries
are state owned by one twelfth In addition it
has instituted tax Of threepence in the pound
on wages and salaries for the purpose osten-
sibly. of relieving unskilled laborers in particu-
lar.
The money gained in this tax is being used
for "relief work at three pounds eight shillings
ninepence a week, whereas the basic wage is
four pounds, two shilllings. sixpence. sim