TRANSPORT TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2830, 22 July 1916, Page 2

TRANSPORT TROUBLE

OTHER SIDE OF QUESTION CONTRACTORS' STATEMENT " Some weeks ago the representatives of the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union waited-on the Minister of Defence with complaints as to the manuer in which the work of fitting up the transports was being done by the contractors, Messrs. Campbell and Bourke. Messrs. Curtice and Bruce, of the union, in that interview denied that union men had refused to work; all night on January.' 12„ and intimated that the contractors bad put those men off at 5 p.m. until 8 o'clock the next morning, so that they could put theif own men on at less wages, which waa worked out at a saving of ss. Id. per man for the night. Campbell and Burke's answer to that allegation—now made- available for the first time—is that all the statements and insinuations were absolutely untrue. Campbell • and Burke worked under a contract whereby they received a commission on wages paid—all time worked and the amounts paid being checked by a Government time-keeper, who was present tho, whole time the. work was proceeding. On the particular occasion referred to, the Transport Board insisted that work should continue all night, as a! penalty of . demurrage would be incurred by the Government in respect of every day's delay. The evidence of Mr. Robert Jlasefiekj, foreman for Campbell and Burke, was that he saw H-agjJerty, the labour ganger, between. 4 -and 4.30 p.m., and asked him if the men would work all night, and he (Haggerty) had said that the men would, not work after 10 p.m. As it was essential that the work should go. on all night, it was decided to knock off all the wharf hands at '5 p.m., and bring on the firm's own hands to work through the night. The same wages were actually paid to the men employed as would have been paid to wharf labourers, as the wages sheets plainly show, so that the contrary insinuation had, no foundation whatever. Messrs. Campbell and Burke go on to state that the next morning the men refused to go on again, realising that they, had missed the opportunity of Large earnings, and complaining of the firm putting its own men on; but most of them were eventually induced by, Haggerty and Potter to go on again, the special inducement being that there vfould be another all-night's work on that (Thursday) night. Twelve out of 16 men went on and worked all that' night, save two- who left at midnight. "l.t may be pointed out," 6aid Campbell and Burke in their statement, "that the work was not really wharf labourers' work, and was work for which a builder's labourer was moro competent, An important part of the work .consisted of obtaining and handing- to the carpenters emploved the timbers re-., quifed by them. The ordinary whari labourer is ignorant of the .kinds of timber, and so is not so suitable as the ordinary builder's labourev, who is experienced in that respect, as well as in the sizes of timber. , ' "It has boen suggested that Campbell and Burke, bcinj; paid a commission on wages paid, had employed men at extravagant wages, and that the cost was unnecessarily in.flated in order to 6well their own earnings Jn commission. In particular it was stated that apprentices in the furniture trade had been employed to go down south, and had earnedas much as M a week, and journeymen had earned as much as a week. The answer to those charges is that no furniture apprentices were so employed. Three carpenters' apprentices were employed, one in his last year, and two others, in their first year. The highest wages received respectively were £i 165., £i Bs., and £i 18s. per week of twelve hours a day, including Sunday. The highest wages paid to others for any. week were as follows:—It. Wakefield, foreman, .£lO 45.; J.- Haggerty, - wharf labour tallier, .£ll ss. ad. Beforo tho war Campbell and Burke, paid all their hands more than the awatd rates."

A good deal'is said-in--the statement rebutting the -'insinuation' as to' the oompotency of Campbell, and Burke to carry out the work, and instances are givuii irf tho work done, and the time taken, lo 3o it on such boats as tho "Waits ana, Knight Templar, Aparima, Dalmore, and Ullwaroa. -As to tlie satis, faction the firm's" work gave,the Defence authorities, the following letter, written in January last, is live testimony:— ./' "Department of Defence, "Headquarters Olfice, "Wellington, January, 1916. "Dear Sir,—The General Officer commanding the New Zealand Military Forces desires 1110 to convey to you his high appreciation of the valuable assistance which you have rendered the military authorities in connection with transport work. The fitting out and prompt dispatch of ships is of vital importance in maintaining the-fighting efficiency of troops at the front, and although a very natural satisfaction must be yours in the knowledge of work well done, still tho Commmandant wishes to place on record his thanks for the prompt and willing manner in which the requirements of the service had. been met by you.. " "The "Commandant "further desires that this message of appreciation be conveyed. to ynnr itaff and to all workmen employed who, by their diligence and willingness to work at all hours, have so materially assisted the cause in this emergency.—Tours faithfully, "(Sgdj W. L~ ROBINSON, "Major." "Assistant Quarter master-General, "Chairman Transport Board."