ONEHUNGA PILOT SERVICE

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 617, 3 January 1872, Page 2

ONEHUNGA PILOT SERVICE

To the Editor of the Evening- StabSib, —Through the medium of your paper I wish to ask the Government of this province whether the men attached to the pilot boat at Onehunga are their servants or the private servants of Mr Wing, the pilot. If they are under the delusion that because we are receiving government pay we are doing any work for them, they make great mistake. I have been in the service about a month, and during all that time I can conscientiously say that we have not done an hour's work for the province, with the exception of bringing a few bags of flour for the signal man; and in my humble opinion I think £22 per month can be disposed of with more benefit to the country, than supplying the Messrs Wing with four workmen, particularly as he has got already a far larger salary than any other pilot in the province with the exception of the Auckland one, for what, I am at a loss to know. I don't think his duties are more arduous, and lam sure his [abilities are not superior to other pilots. It is hardly six months ago, when piloting the Phoebe down the harbor he ran her aground. His son having got a store at the Heads, we have got to keep him supplied in stores which we bring down in the pilot boat. The last time we went down with a load of flour we remained four days sorting his gum, &c. During all this time the Government boat is laying in one of the most dangerous places inside the heads ; if the winde happens to shift round to the south-east the boat is almost sure to drag her anchor, as "the bottom is all rock, in which case she will be sure to be smashed to pieces. To show that lam not exaggerating, the first time we came here, if •it was not for a mere accident that,l and the other boatmen happened to come down in ten minutes, she would have been stove in on one side, having dragged her anchor. It would have been only £50 into the Provincial Treasury, lost as, a Jnatter of course upon public service. However, wonla h.?A W the ftfl*'"' ftoW'the' j province '•'■<!... <>a>c ibr. lor:", In t)u vit&c • piaci Waiio- w-: arfi in Onei-amp ■■-, • | ba^c go: ■■■ irav/ ■: .■l/-- < ;;ryd cut wood Ibi I him, -aid d:;; }.■ I wonder ho : do«*s i;.-v tiuia hi-: xU<zxnioft ho fknaiog s I I lisvo no ccubfc te '-vould siieee.:d y/hero ' «so many fail, as \&h&s gofcat hi wmimaad j :: y> gwat pEvs.c,(, k>;- most. ;pL.:rihil uses, s viz., cheap iiibo^. We h&v® also got to I I makd freqaeus jouKioys te it* i 1 bring biiii aiiell wiucb. uo not c-'nlj -isss ] " biiai#elf{ but Jicr ially has She lo !

take fo^considUion.an it costs bin After <& t o ' c io C k at night we have ha to disoUe more than two tons of gram and wh& asked him to allow• 'me some thing fern this extra work, he had to cool assL cc to tell me he did not knm , of such Ug. Would it not be more tc the pur^,_not to say more honest. o. him-if (would employ us in buildm a housed ourselves at the Head. Soaking e t, we generally come here perhaps Wound in the same condition and all f have got to cover us is a, old sail, ihis dog wanted a house buii for him, itpuld be done quickly, but no so for his |te boatmen. , j Kowl i t to know if there is on. law for tlfgorvants of the Provmcia , Governme4 n d another for the servant; of the Getel Government. Take fo: instance th^.C., and when you deduo' j tucker and y e rent from £5 a month, you will finthat they have got double our pay, ano e t even while working on the Governnk roads they get extra pay. The man lose place I supplied, although I ha^een told he was a first-rate hand "in aboaijias discharged in a moment because he s% said he did not consider it was his diyto pick potatoes for Mr Wing's son aihis coxwain. Day alter day has thatpor fellow gone for his money, his wf and little ones at home depending on \n all probability for thenday's bread, k he has not been paid yet. There i another affair whicb. J. consider it myluty to bring under the notice of the Gvernment. There were tenders requireifor cleaning and painting the buoys here.l person named Mclntyre nominally took but in reality Mr Wing and the pilot creiid the greater part of the . work, and it is oently reported here that ] he received the hater part of the money. (This can be easijascertained if the Gro.vernment choos^but for all this work the men never reived anything, but their i usual pay, on thcontrary, there was one I Maori named Gege, who I expect was .;• /enerally finds I j ' . ny white men : itives. In this . I imptible meani bVsf." t J'■ \ • • :i ' mlf's pay from ! <» „i. I shall forbear fromU •. ■•.-■.■'.; n fhose cases, bywrili a.--" i- to see if those ; 11 sanction con- ■ ;v;< >■ H'- ;J '. f; >. , .j,. so I for one ? : -rovincialism will ]!, -t.i} ■ c things that j h '.:■:■ . s •,-. hope that this : • T! !.i£ :i ■ \h. A. I have not \.u i i vhich I dpi not j ::'.:i: f'-i'; <■&! .- i:■ the testimony . ' >■■"■• -:.iV., v.- aey are all in •:: .-:■ ''■ ?i% k• I trust in the ..-■■-' set 4v: ' ■ ■.-,:■■.; 3o f the chief ■•■'.-,>.-:.! 'ii\; c:': .-'i .•!■.,./:;■, that he will S Kiif- ,b •';■■.- »• Tv iv? Onehunga that y ■-■•'«■■••' ;' ■•&\ v- ivith impunity. ■ tpe ,: of his, if we ■Ii pie suggestion ' -yi a:. tot allowed to .• ■ --; --;ir *'■'■'- « vi!! be taught on t'iis ■'•■a:ioi. >.'■■..■; V ;,!■ >t only allowed '•• t?:su :. but ■ - ar* s er.,:t,;ly justified in acting ij)M cm :vO'hi ivhen we think • m »r.jr U.-4S In ■ l<^ !^ i- l\is fee, ' i ' :T LessEEES,

1 Evening Stae.; ■""'I' 1;;! and written of i'.iposal of certain V vliich are daily t/^iug liaiaeu into AU;laid from nearly every steamer that Wrg cattle into Onehunga. Dead be&\ ac carted to the slaughter house, dresfl t all times of the night, and are in before the worm rises in the morii*. Some, indeed, go to the boiling-downltalishment, but what I want to know i wio sees them boiled down ; and if thfer boiled down, I think the inhabitantoi Grey street must have very strong i>v«. Now, sir, last Saturday night ther^aa steamer in, the Go-a-Head, with fivbrsix dropped ones as we term them. |n Sinday morning the lessee of the Slafetr House had four men and two teamsf hrses delivering this same carrion in^Ackland, between the hours of 4 o'cl|: ad half-past, but not meeting with so ie, security as he anticipated, after givii tb full flavour of his loads to the people ' (ueen-street, he succeeded in bringi i into Newmarket again, but hearing y there was a stir abroad, he carted itTlr J. May's paddock, Epsom, within alhrt distance from the Highway Eoad, \ee Constable Green, from Onehunga, k<& them in the afternoon. Of all telfiith that ever was left exposed v ihe public view !—the stench that Ue from it was enough to pollute thei for miles around. To use the corible'a own words, "it was abominable* Where does the fault lie ? Suretihe lessee ought to be the last man to d^|e in such beastly transactions. What &j we not expect next if the slaughter hcfe is leased to such a man as this, who ibound by his lease to give every assilice in his power to stop the traffic in ml unfit for human food. Trusting we shall hear moffrom the police court of this\affair, I am, &c,