THE TRUCK SYSTEM.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1189, 21 May 1872, Page 2

THE TRUCK SYSTEM.

„ . . , (to the editor.) Sir — Can you inform mej as brie of the men working on the road, whose duty it is to look after the contractors to preventthe truck system, : as carried ■ . .on >by : them on the Mar3den and Greenstone road j. ; , as I believe there is a clause in the,contract to the effect that they shall have no store or interest in one ,to force . any man to ■deal-with them, -and yet- a3 soon. as they get the contract .^heyj.PjUt? up a store, or store and b'oardirig-hbuse,"and if the men will not deal there they: are not employed. Now, Sir, why is there no law to protect the working man, I cannot understand. They take the. contract so low that they can make nothing out of it, without mak- , ing the working man pay for it, by the exorbitant price they charge for stores. And then as, to paying the men, which they are supposed to "do every fortnight on the ground, but which they really do once in three weeks or a month, and then in their store, where, if you have a few shillings left, you can spend in nobblers r which they sell In any quantity. Then again, some pay in cheques, which have to be cashed at the < Greenstone, land: you have to pay a percentage for that, besides the inconvenience in many instances of going. there. I think that men should be paid at some regular time and j place ; but .we dare not say so here, a3 if a man made any complaint lie would be a marked man. on all ,the roads. , ; > , Tr.u sting f y o.u. will give this publicity in your valuable papeiv ' ..- '■.■■]■■[ > I am,&c.,. „,; . : •.., . " A Road Man^ Marsden, May 19, 1872.