Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 1890. Robbery or Discontent?

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 20 June 1890, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 1890. Robbery or Discontent?

4, Mr Hob an, one of the deputies appointed by the Railway servants to interview) the Commissioners, suggested that the railways wore being worked fit a loss, in consequence of the discontent amongst the men This is not the first time that we have heard are) resentative of labour urging that men will only do a proportionate amount of work to tho f>ay they receive. We do not beieve it is the practise, by honest men, and it wait satisfactory to read that Mr Hannay stated " he had a muoh better opinion of the employes

han to think they wore not doing their best. Still, it is an ttncdmfor table suggestion to bo made by a working man of working men. Iho question of the r~te of pay is purely a matter of bargain between etn" ployer, and emp'oyee and if a man chooses to engage to do a day's work at a Btipuatodsuin, no matter whether it is a good price or a poor price, he has led the employer to understand t hat h e will empl oy his regul ar amount of strength and skill, for that wage. If, as some men assert, you cannot expect a man will work for six shillings a day the same as he would for eight shillings a day, it appears to us to mean, that the laborer intends to act unfairly towards his employer, though he had made an agreement with him. A. fair day's work does mean differently with different men, as strength, and custom, enables some men to do much more than others within a certain time, but to the single individual a fair day's work should be always th« same whatever the payment de mand may be. We hold, with Mr Hannay, a better opinion of the working man, than his represanta* tives do, but we think they should sc ut such statements made on their behalf. Ta reverse the position might make the matter more clear to these advocates What would they think of a draper, who asked one shilling a yard for some material, and on lie* ing 1 cheapened down in price said, oh, yes, I will make it ninepence a yard, but in cutting it off, only gave the buyer three quarter* of a yard ? Probably they would call him a rogue, which would not be far out, but they prefer to style their action, •' Discontent." There appears to be a strong mis* understanding of the positions betweon the employ er and employee. ! n whatever occupation the two classes may be bound togethor. the same principle of fair piny by both sides has to be exhibited. The employee cont. acts to give a certain amount of his time for a cash eqiii" valent. If the employer keeps his bargain by prompt payments, the employee should in justice keep his, by devoting the whole of the time sold by him, to his employer's in* terests. However at times we do not find,on the part of the employees, that nice distinction of their duties, and much time is frequent y lost by idleness, the equivalent of which, they would feel much hurt, if de' ducted at per day. We cannot help viewing the re lations between copital and labour as a distinct purchase, and the time bought from the employee, ia the property of the employer. If this is correct, every minute . that the employee dovotes to his amusement during the labour hours, is as direct a robbery of his employer as though j he put his hand int > the till, and took lhe equivalent in money. We have no doubt that when the cm 1 ployees view thejquestion as we do, they, having no desire to act dis* honestly, will be more careful of the article that they have sold. Whan that time comes, the position be* tweon the two parties interested, will be placed on a more satisfactory footing than at present.