ARE THEY EARNING THEIR PAY?

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 59, 2 December 1937, Page 3

ARE THEY EARNING THEIR PAY?

Our Own Correspondent.)

Men Working on Main Highways COMPLAINT TO BOARD

(From

PALMERSTON N., This Day. A suggestion that perhaps the Main • Highways Board was not getting a full return for the money it expcnded on labour was advanced to the board yesterday by Mr. N. H. Mackie, on behalf of the Automobile Assoeiation (Manawatu). Mr. Mackie said that he wa? not referring to labour "as labour" which would be unfair to a large number of very excellent men on the roads, but he would go as far as to say a portion of the labour employed was not returning value whic'h meant that tha cost to the 'country was going to increase with the xesult that a smallei proportion of the roads would be sealed Some gangs were not as enthusias'tic in their work as others. The depufcy-chairman of the boarcl, Mr. A. J. Baker, asked what evidenc* the assoeiation had, Could it giv particulars? Mr. Mackie said he did 15,000 mile! a year and the section he had been mosl over lately was b'etwecn Palmerston North and Waiouru. He would say that some of the men the P.W.D. had talcen over with certain highways from tha eounty councils were not up to the required standard. They were pasfc the ago when they took an*interest in their work. "Some of these men1 give you the impression that they have never seen a motor-car in their lives before," Mr. Mackie added. "They stand and watch you come and then watch you out of sight." Replying to tho suggestion, Mr. Baker stated that there was no matter in connection with the administration of the P.W.D. and Highways Board which gave greater concern, for there was more attached to it than the question of getting full value for what was spent on labour. Durlng the last few years the department had expanded enormously not only in tho number of men employed but also in the stafE engaged, and the general view was that it was getting good value in the work that was being done. They endeavoured to keep the work on the co-operative principle, and to make their wages, the men had to give good value. As a matter of fact the gangs were earning very good wages. As regards the men taken over from the counties, the point had not boen before him before but he did not think it generally the case-t'hat those men were not worth thetr place. There might be isolated instances. However, the matters brought forward by the Automobile Assoeiation were important ones and they were quite right in drawing attention to them. Mr. W. Morrison, a member of the i bog,rd, expressed the opinion that the department was forlunale in. getting i - Ihe couiii.y men who wer« eumloxasf of kmitiM*