DREDGEMEN'S WAGES.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 361, 9 April 1903, Page 5

DREDGEMEN'S WAGES.

TO THE EDITOB. Sib,—l notice in your Issue of last ■week that a- correspondent signing himself " True Blue," sends up a howl of disgust on account of the high rate of -wages which he alleges are being .paid to dredgemen. If you will kindly 3 allow me a little space in your valuable columns, I will endeavour to show how mean and paltry are the sentiments, if you can call them such, which after all are only echoed from those of another correspondent who signs himself "Breadwinner." However, as " True Blue " is particularly offensive in his remarks, I propose to deal with him. This remarkably high sense of the fitness of things has received a rude t-hcck frcm the luxury in which "these gentry who prance

about on bikes, and live in houses like lords," revel. Has "True Blue "considered that a working man has as much right to live in a palace as the highest in the land. Does he consider that because a man has to work for his living that he is not entitled to do as he pleases with his earnings ? Should a man because he is a working man walk about with a humble cast of countenance, ready to kiss the dust in front of the feet of every employer of labour ? Does he forget that in this country, socially speaking, one man is as good as another ? Methinks we are transported back among the serfs of Richard the Second's time. I hope not. He is also indignant at the impudence of dredgemßn, iu asking remuneration for overtime from those prodigies of munificence, dredgeowners. Let " True Blue " remember that '* the laborer is worthy of his hire," that he should have no scruples in asking for his rights and in seeing that he gets them; I know of one dredging company who sent word to their employees that they should discontinue to pay for over-time and that the men should be glad to render any assistance without extra pay seeing that they were allowed to take lunch aboard and eat it in the company's time. The directors were also resolved not to allow the men to "bleed the company." At the time this notice was sent the company were two months in arrears with the wages. It is very obvious who was doing the bleeding. I wonder how" True Blue " would relish the idea of going out to work at all hours of the night, in all sorts of weather, for eight shillings per day, and, furthermore, when his shift is finished, for instance at eight o'clock, how would he like to work till eleven or twelve o'clock, as the case may be without extra pay. If the work is worth doing it is well worth being paid for. He also makes another suggestion which, in itself, would show what manner of man he is. The suggestion is to bring men from Australia. Evidently he thinks the working men of Australia are of the same calibre as himself. He forgets there are unions in Australia as there are elsewhere, and no man, unless he be dead to all feelings of self-respect, likes to be called "blackleg." If "True Blue" could obtain a situation as overseer of a few Kanakas, I think he would be well placed, but in a free country such as this is, he is evidently out of his element. In closing, I say that "True Blue" should be ashamed of the coarse manner in which he has attempted to degrade his fellow man. Let him remember, if he is a dredgeowner, that the time may come when he shall have to go to work again, and if he be a working man> that he has attempted to retard the (interests of those whom he should have assisted and whose interest were common with his own.—l am, &c. EVERGREEN.