Six Dollars a Day?

DURING the closing stages of the session of the United States Congress just concluded, some questions were asked as to why wages below the Federal minimum were being paid to government em ployees at Guam and Eastern Samoa. The subject arose through a recent request by the Pentagon military headquarters for legislation to legally exempt these areas and Wake Island from the minimum wage law, where the 75 cents per hour had never been accepted.

Secretary of Labour James P.

Mitchell admitted that at Guam alone, the Navy is employing 15,000 Filipinos at less than minimum rates, but pointed out that previous Democratic administrations had done the same. His department was trying to devise a formula for rais ing wages in these islands, but an immediate rise to the legal 75 cent rate would seriously dislocate local economics.

The proposed bill received no formal committee consideration be fore the session closed. fl Mr. Tom Marchington, after 33 years’ service with the Fiji Customs Department, and lately Collector of Customs, is retiring, due to ill health. Most of his service was at the Lautoka and Levuka offices.