WORKERS HERE AND ELSEWHERE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 267, 7 August 1919, Page 6

WORKERS HERE AND ELSEWHERE

A CHALLENGE. Sir,—Mr. Barton's letter of July 31, published in your paper, appears to me to be a letter of self-praise. L\lr. Harlon does not forget to. use the "Yank" slang that is foreign to New Zealanders. He does not forget to mention what ho has done, i.e., following six scorers with a lls-iuch axe. The people of New Zealand do not know what "scorers" means. We will take it that it means squaring sleepers. Also Mr. Barton has taken particular notice of our "sfow-go" men, and he naturally believes that all colonials are slow workers. As Mr. Barton has thought fit to flash his colours before the public, I will now flash the colours of the world's greatest worker before, Mr. Barton's eyes and that of the public. N'ot having the right to publish Mr. Jack Davey's performances, I have taken tho liberty to chalCenge Mr. Barton to find a -man in America or any part of tho world who is able to lower the records of this wonderful worker, deeper squaring. The test would be to square 120 7ft. sleepers, Sin. sain., in eight hours, or to square one sleeper in 42 seconds. To square 120 sleepers, Davey nad to handle the sleeper billets before' :hey were square. Each billet contains about 30ft. of timber, the 120 billets wou'ld contain, 3600 feet of timber. This he had to handle before squaring. After placing them upon his stase lie had to square them, turn each sleeper three times, keep his stage clear, and shift and stack the squared sleepers. They contained 23ft. 4in. of limber ufter (.hoy were squared, 2700 feet of timber after squaring. Total emount of timlier squared in eight hours, 2700 ft.; total amount handled, 0300 ft. Some of our men would not stack the above amount let alone squaro it.

Davey has beeit.- known to take bushfelling- contracts in the Taoroa district, near Taihape, of 100 acres of heavy bush, and. starting it in July, had it finished, single-handed, before Christinas, and he has never been guilty of working over eight hours. He put the Ngataruar Road in, in mountainous country, 01J- chains of 12ft. Toad in 02 days, "on his lonesome." I am leady to back J. T. Uavey, of Taoroa, against any man in. ihe word for JSO a side, and a. side wiger of ,£IOO to square sleepers. I will lilso back him for the same amount to squaro 200 railway sleepers in eight hours. The contestants under my challenge to do all handling and keep tho stage clear of chips. I will find all timber required, and pay for delivery of same, either on the Domain, Wellington, or at any showground that Mr. Barton may mention. Mr. Davey is about 50 years., of age, and weighs about ten and a half stone. Baek your country, Mr. Barton! Thanking you for all the space accorded me,—l am, etc., E. J.' BELL. Palmerston North, August 5.