SMALL CONTRACTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1806, 19 July 1913, Page 6

SMALL CONTRACTS.

DEFENDED BY MINISTER,

BEALEY FLAT COMPLAINTS,

Some discussion took place in tho Houss I of Representatives yesterday on the subject of the small contracts and other sysI toms of employment under tho Publio Works Department. Mr. T. E. Y. Soddon (Westland) asked whether the Minister for Public Works had any information, yet about the allegation that men on tho Bealey Flat works oould make only 7s. 6d. per day on tho co-operativo works. The matter had been represented to tho Minister by a deputation a week previously. Tho Hon. AV. Fraser: Yes, I can tell you about that. In February last tho small contract system was started at Bealey Flat, and tho men wero paid so muck per foot in the tunnel. Tho result was that, according to tho schedule that was followed, for tho first fivo "pays tho I men earned Is. B|d. per day more than tho wages they, had been receiving before. Tliey did very well. For tho Juno "pay," however, working in exactly tho samo class of ground, and under the samo circumstances and the samo basis for tho rates of pay, the men earned four shillings per day less. Honourable gentlemen could imagino why this had occurred. There was no doubt that officers of tho union at Bealcy Flat disliked, and had publicly expressed their dislike of, tlib contract system. Tho men had asked to be taken off tho contract system. This was dono, and they were put on day labour at 10s. a day. They now asked that this should bo increased- to 10s. Cd. Tho engineer had very properly declined to accede ,to thi3 demand. The men had not tried to work. It was a deliberate attempt to discredit tho small contract system, although a certain number of tho mon were anxious to go on, and know that they could do well under that system. Tho work of the men at Bealey l«lnt was being watched, and a careful estimate was being made of the value of tho work thoy were giving for their wages. If it came to less than they could have earned in tho'first fivo months, very probably these men would hear about it. Ho was going on with this tunnel, but he ivas not going on with-it under conditions inimical to tho Dominion as a wholo. If any set of men thought that they were going to upset tho small contract system they were mistaken. Mr,,Seddon dsked whether tho Minister would submit to tho llouso any details, from his Department, in support of liia statement that the men at Bealey Flat had made a deliberate attempt to do away with tho small contract system. Mr. Fraser: I did not say the men. I said the leaders of the union. Mr. Seddon again asked whether particulars would be supplied to tho House. Mr. Fraser: Of courso not! What information did the lion, gentleman want? He '(the Minister) had told him that theso men wero in a position to earn up to Ms. a day, and wero not satisfied with it. Taking- tho wholo time from February to tho end of June, the rate of pay tho men had received had averaged; only one half-penny less than 10s. Cd. a day. An •effort had been made to show that the rate of 7s. Gd. applied to the wholo period, but as a fact this applied only to the last month under contract. Beafty Flat was not tho only placo where obstructions had been put in the way of .carrying out tho small contract system. He was not going to be deterred by it. A certain . number of men in tho country had asked for it and ho did not sec why they should not get it. If a man was willing to work hard and earn a good day's wages, ho was going to give him a chance. Mr. Seddon gave notice to move on tho following day: "That there be laid on tho tablo of the House all tho correspondence and evidence upon which tho engineer of tlio Publio Works Department bases his report that a deliberate attempt is being made by the leaders of tho union at Bealey Flat to destroy the small' contract system." Earlier in. tho afternoon Mr. W. J. Dickie (Selwyn) said that ho had recoived a letter from Lnko Coleridge on the subI ject of tlio wages paid to co-operative cmi ployees. The letter was as follows:—"I i bog to draw your attention to a matter that Wants setting right for the men hove. It is being reported in the pivss that all men on co-operative works for publio works are being paid not loss than 10s. per day. Now, on tho Lako Coleridge public works, there are no co-operalivo men who get that. On July 2 for tho June montlv ono gang of fivo men was paid ss. 6d. per day, and they had to work up' to the knees in water and claypug, and yet the bosses can have a motor-ear to go about in." Tho Hon. W. Fraser said he had heard! nothing about this, but lie would mains inquiries and seo if the charge w-as correct. In some other cases ho liad foundi there was no foundation for complaint at all. In somo ( cases tho reason was that the men did not want to work, and deliberately avoided work. Ho could not pay any man if he would not work. However, he would inquire into tho particular case mentioned.