60 MINIMUM WAGE LEGISLATION IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES

In 1922 the Province of New Brunswick prescribed minimum
salaries for school teachers.’* Different rates were determined for
different districts, the rates to include the minimum income the
teacher has to earn from all sources, including the Government grant
to teachers. In 1923 minimum wage legislation was in force in
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.
No proclamation was issued for putting into force the Nova Scotia
act for 1920 and no commission was appointed under the Quebec
act. In 1924 Nova Scotia replaced its inoperative minimum wage
act of 1920, applicable to factories and shops, by a new act applicable
to all female occupations, but no board was actually established.'®
In 1925 British Columbia ** passed a minimum wage act for male
smployees for all trades except farm laborers, fruit pickers and
packers, fruit and vegetable canners, and domestic servants.
The application of the act was not intrusted to the minimum wage
board for women but to a board of adjustment constituted under an
act of 1923 for taking care of reduction of working hours. Employers
 who violate the provisions of the act are punished by fines
and also have to pay to the worker the difference between the minimum
 wage and the wage paid. In 1926 the Province of Alberta
enacted a law that male workers shall not be employed at lower wages
than the minimum wages for female employees in the same trade.!8

Principle of Wage Fixation

The majority of the Canadian Provinces apply the “living-wage ”
principle, either expressly or in an implied way. Manitoba falls into
the first group and empowers its board to declare minimum wages
“adequate to supply the necessary cost of living to employees and
maintain them in health.” Quebec falls into the second group.
I'he law states that the commission intrusted with the application of
the act is to intervene if it is of the opinion that “the wages or
salaries paid in an industrial establishment coming within the purview
 of this act are insufficient.” ** In Ontario no instrietions as to
the basis of wage fixation are given by the law, except a similar provision
 that the board may act if wages paid to any class of employees
are “inadequate or unfair.” But the board may, after verification,
act as it deems fit. The principle of entire freedom for the board
holds in the case of the male workers in British Columbia.2* Rather
radical viewpoints are reported from that Province. The wage board
for female employees argues ** that enterprises which are unable to
1 Canada. Department of Labor. Labor legislation in Canada for the calendar year
1922, Ottawa, 1923, p. 12. -
» Canada. Department of Labor. Labor Legislation in Canada, 1923, Ottawa, 1924,
" Canada. Department of Labor. Tabor Legislation in Canada, 1924. Ottawa,
aa Department of Labor, Labor Legislation in Canada, 1925. Ottawa,
8 Canada. Department of Labor. Labor Legislation in Canada, 1926. Ottawa,
anni. Department of Labor. Labor Legislation in Canada as existing Dec. 31,
1620. Ottawa, 1921, p. 513.
20 Idem, p. 332.
% Canada. Department of Labor. Labor Legislation in Canada, 1925. Ottawa, 1926,
&gt; 2 Eanada (British Columbia). Department of Labor. Annual report for 1919. Vietoria,
 1920, p. 86.