CHRISTCHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 44, 15 November 1907, Page 7

CHRISTCHURCH.

• 1 'Noveiiiber I<l. It is stated that Mr. G. AV. horbes (Cheviot) and Jll'. 0. F.'-Clothia'r'(Hawat'denj will contest the- ll'iirufuu seat.' at''fliiVgeiK oral elections. Mi. R/Meredith is nieii'-'-tioned as a possible caiididaVe.-'' ( "" ■" The Hon, W. Hall-Jones. The' "Tiniest' ..publishes..aiPasiige.^rpm;ii. private .letter written ."by. ~Jlr.:., ' G.' ,-b; Bchmidt (the Hon'."W 11 ill Toncs's pruite secretary), to a friend in Christchurch iu

nrhich ho says: "I am very glad to be able . to report that ■ tho chicf is making really progress. He looks also his olrl self again; and is very much stronger audhotter in every way. The trip through Wales .and •.Ireland "did liini an immense amount of good. He quite surprises us with his energy.- I feel quite convinced that by the time wo return to New Zealand lie will bo as well and strong as ever." Accommodation for shearers. One has heard i> good'deal at different times about' the accommodation provided for ; shearers 011 stations mainly from the shear- ! ors' or labour agitntirs' point of view. A "newspaper correspondent, who. signs himself, "Worker," gives us a, little !of the other ~ side. . Ho agrees that oii a few stations there ;is room for 'improvement, both as regards food and accommodation, but in the big ~ .majority of cases thero is little cause of complaint. As for the accommodation, ho' says,. "As. one. who has had years of experience witli shearers and station workers' : generally I have comc to tho conclusion 'that if over}', station owner in Now,; Zealand built palaces for their workers, nine in! every ten .workers would allow their premises to Ue-. eomo lilthy ..in less than a week's time. A very big majority of New; Zealand workers, -through ignorance, aro opposed to fresh air ■iii. their. 6leepiug rooms or wliares. Very; many shepherds' allow .their dogs to sleep in their wharcs and in some instances ; n their own bunks. Not one shearer in ten .will, put his. blankets out to air. Surely " working,;mpu-cannot expect tlieir.employers' ~ :tQ como 'dowii to their dining-room and wash; jt out,;.and/then go. in and wash out their, rooms<and put out their mattresses •and JWaiikets'. to", air. I have worked five ; yeu)-s stations .'in. New Zealand, but I al-' have ray tent and plenty of fresh air and ..splendid health.. Let .'the working men do their part by. keeping their premises cle.ii. ; and.then,they can xlemaud'justice from employers! •' ," '

Wages,,of ...Clerks. . . • • . ' " There is-little fresh in the interviews tta'afc-/. •a "Times" reporter.has had with:, a number • of i.craploycrs regarding the low wages of. j, clerks..-.The. position is fairly -well summed], up "in the remarks of one of the employers V ■who said that parents were desperately anx-.J ions .in, the, majority .of cases, to. get their bpysv.into; "genteel"' employment, and the-i----result bad been to make the clerk almost \ a drug iii;the'market.'. He.went oh'tosar.'. that.j'l'the supply, far.exceeds tho'demand.", j. The-standard of pay is low, far.too low, one \\ would think, to satisfy a young man with any }. J ambition, yet there scorns to be a rush for „ •every, vacant place. A .youth will accept' 1 ) UOs.-'ji week hi a commercial house and livo » with' his parents, when he might earn 255.\" a! Week' aud' his keep , in' the country. ' i" J" really believe the parents are more toblamo-i' thatr-'"the -boys. ''A youngster with speculo ability' will' bb successful in an insurance h office, bank, or commercial house. The youth'-; of 'ordinary' ability will spond the greater • part of his life on a low salary if ho enters t . such'envnloymcnt./ My advice to the ordin- '■-. ary healthy boy is this: "Get out- into tho ■(-. country. -'There is jjlcnty of room there,.and . ;it, is" the farmer'who "makes money in' Mew : - ■. 'Zealand.'' ;