THE GOVERNMENT STROKE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2074, 8 May 1907, Page 1

THE GOVERNMENT STROKE.

To the Editor of the Gisborno Times. Sir,—l noticed an advertisement in your paper some little time ago, wanting 20 men for the railway, and being used to the work, having worked on the Midland and the Seddon and Blenheim railways, I a plied for work here. My average | earnings on the above railways was 9s per day, sometimes single-handed, sometimes with a party. This went on for two days. Next I was sent into tho gravel pit with about 20 more men. Then we would' rush things for half an hour, and then stand 20 minutes to half an hour, and catch cold. Next day I was put to work in a tunnel with about 15 men, packing the sleepers with shingle. There was not half enough shingle in the tunnel to do the job, so myself and another wore sent along the lino for sliinglo, and to bring it into tho tunnel on a small trolly holding a quarter yard. It took two men about live minutes I to load, and about five minutes to unload this trolly, there being only ; room for two men to work the trolj ly ; yet the ganger puts Ojj'" another : three men, making five mejv to load a j quarter yard of shingle, .etc. Conse- | quently there was dissatisfaction | among the men, winding up with

myself being put off, 011 tho pretext 1 of not doing enough work. Now 1 . say that this kind of tiling should be altered. Wo want the public money spent to the best advantage, and we want to let men work that will work, and not be dictated to by Dick, Tom, and Harry, and not to be put to work tinder a ganger that i does not look after the public into- j rest properly. For proof of my state- i ment, I refer you to the books of tlie ' said departments. On starting at Te 1 Ivara'ka, with about 20 others, under the directions of a ganger, we were set on to pack shingle under the sleepers. At odd times we had , straight going, blit we were oftoncr i like so many flies around a sugar . basin.—Yours, etc,, NAVVY. j . i i i , 1