PUBLIC WORKS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1519, 15 August 1912, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS.

THE EXISTING CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM. "WASTEFUL AND UNFAIR." The ease for day laljour a> against contract work was argued before the Ministor for Public Works (tho Hon. W. Fra-er) by a deputation from the Wellington 'trades and Labour Council la~t cvoninc. The deputation was introduced V Mi\ W.,A. Veitch, M.T'. -Mr. M. J. Rrarilon raid that the question tho deputation proposed to discujs was whether tho co-operative system was to bo. superseded by thn' contract, system, and whether the day labour system should be extended to all Government work?. He Miggested that the contract system vra? liable on oec.-isbn to break down, for contractors throw up works so soon as they did not pay, and the Government had to finish them. He cited the case of the Otira Tunnel contract, which M'Lean and Sons were iceking to throwup. -Mr. Fraser said that as the Olira Tunnel contract was going to be submitted to an inquiry by a CommitUn of the House, it wouM bo better if nothing were said in an ex parte way to prejudice their case before the Committee. Mr. R-sardon went on to speak gonerally of the merits of the sy.-tvm by which tho Government would carry out its own works under its own officers, urging that the officers were quite capable of doing it if givc-n a chance. Sneakins of the "cooperative system, he said thai the great fault in it was that it was not a fair system of co-operat ion. If a gang of men wei'ogivon a.definite price per yard for a definite piece of work, (he results would be far better. Under the present svstem if a good gang of men got together", they were afraid to earn a high wage, because they felt the engineers would bring down (he pric? per yard, so that tho pay sheets would not be too heavy. Mr. Fraser: That is not the co-oporative system as it. is in force to-day. Mr. Rcardon: It is not, but it emeht to be. At present, good men will not slick , to tI K . work. ■ . . Mr. Fraser: The best men have been dnven from (he work*. Mr. Reanlou said that what the deputation wanted was not that the co-opera-i live system should be abandoned, but that it should be worki'd on rcully co-operative lines. H<j allied al.-o that'(lie day labour system could be elfctivclv u> , r>l in the construclioii of buildings and in other public works. The work would bo drnv as well and as cheaply, airl there would be less risk of accident to the mon Mr. E. Kennedy cited eases wiiicli had come within his knowledge of economical work dime , by day iabaiir in laying the ioitmlnhons of public buildings, Mr. 11. II anion claimed to'have had experience <\s a contractor and as a foreman of works, and ho urged that by day labour tho Governmont would get 'better work at a less price than they would under contract. The Minister said in reply that hf> agreed with Mr. Rcardon that the cooperative system in this country never nad been a (rue co-operative system. Under that'system as |t was in'vogue here good men were exploited for the benefit of inethcicnt and even lazy mt-u. He could not hold out any hope of this system being retained. It was a. wasteful system, ami it. operated unfairly to the workers themselves for by it men could'not earn what was due to .them. Even since ho had pen in office he had received about i>C tetters of complaint from men in camps. is own officers had informed him that there was a waste of 25 per cent, in the cost ot earth works for railways and roads done by co-operative labour. He proposed, iioivever, to study the question for liimsrli. JJe <l'.d not see why the best workers should l:e .exploited for the benefit of the worn'. With regard to the application ot day 'Inbnur or the contract system to otlis-r public works, he canfes.-rd'tuat hl« vlia was not in favour of day labour alono. He did not think anyone, svstem could hi said to be. the best one for all purposes. He would give the matters reprrsented to him his serious consideration, <l]Mlr-in the in(oros(s o.f the workers and cf the other people of the country