18 MINIMUM WAGE LEGISLATION IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES
particular industry. Exact methods have been applied to measure
that general prosperity that has to be taken into account for the
calculation of reasonable living standards. The New South Wales
Board of Trade, from Stent 1923, has taken into account the
prosperity of companies, quotations of stocks and bonds, the balance
of trade, and the quantities of staples produced.
Results
Movement of Wages
THE increase of average nominal wages from 1911 to 1927 is
shown in Table 2, differentiating for the six States so as to allow
comparisons of the influence on wages of their various systems.
The average wage for Australia in 1911 (51s. 3d. per week) is taken
as the base, or 1000, in the index numbers.38
TABLE 2.—Indez numbers of average wages in the States of Australia, June 30,
1914, to March 31, 1927
[Average wage in Australia in 1911=1000]}
Date
une 20, 4. eemaenanaas
ot TE
300. BL, ID Lenni nies
2000.8, 10 iina wena
dec. 31, 19° UN
Jec. 31, 1° ARR
oo RR
Dec. 31, 19. mmm ae
Mar. 31, 192 ee
New
South
Wales
< : Queens-Victoria
| Tod
er 1059
1290 1065
6¢ 1826
1785 1783
1844 1865
1824 1862
1873 1897
1959 1941
1966 1952
104:
188.
1830
1837
1868
1950
1952
195
South | ‘Western ! . [Saamon,
ia io T@smanial wealth of
Australia. Australia . Australia
Loe”
106:
74E
1708
1770
1791
1841
ITBT.
«561
1226
1853
1829
1838
1847
1893
1927
1825
02
102¢
78¢
L720
1807
1804
1.23
18,1
1843
1079
1085
1844
1785
1840
1830
1887
1938
1944
Retail price index numbers for food, housing, clothing, and miscellaneous
items in the six States (weighted average of five towns in
each State and for the six capital cities combined), taking the prices
of November, 1914, as 1000, are shown in Table 8: 8+
Tare 8.—Index numbers of retail prices in the States of Australia and in the
sip capital cities combined, November, 1921, to June, 1927
[November, 1914=1000]
State
New South Wales. _ccuccnmnmeaamaaacaaaoron
Vietoria. «eee ceeramc emma mn
Queensland... cee ceccreeceacn——.-South
Australia. «ooo oovocommmieccacnn.
Western Australia. ....... ape
Tasmania
Average for 8 capital eities________. ___
Novem-|Novem
‘ber, ber,
1921 16992
516
1460
1370
444
484
| R26
13¢7
1271
1378
1370
1410
1474 | 1420
Year
1624
Year
1925
abo
140¢
1322
46%
434
1427
142%
1339
48F
. «50
1AEC
1436 | 1451 |
Year
14926
498
1444
1281
1484
446
4A
71
Janu-April
ary to to June,
March, 1027
1927
_46.
1420
1357
1473
1430
TAD
1482
1419
1331
1462
1437
1423
1453 | 1448
#2 Burns, H. M.: Wages and the State. London, 1928, p. 882.
% Australia. Bureau of Census and Statistics, Quarterly Summary of Australian Sta-Seley
Mellnyine, September, 1927, p. 70.
em. p. T%.
