BOROUGH ROADMEN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1694, 3 April 1917, Page 3

BOROUGH ROADMEN.

APPLICATIONS INVITED. At last night’s Council meeting, when Cr Thompson’s notice of motion to rescind the resolution passed at the last meeting granting the roadmen a war bonus of one shilling per day, and asking that they put a little more energy into the work, was brought forward, there was no seconder. Cr Thompson said that he only wanted to remove the latter pari of the motion, Avhich had caused all the trouble, but no seconder was forthcoming, and the motion lapsed. In Ids report, the Town Clerk asked for instructions in the matter of roadmen, and a little later in the evening Cr McColl moved, and Cr Stevenson seconded, that applications be called for roadmen : foreman 11s and assistant ,10s per day. Applications to close on Wednesday, April 11th.

Cr McColl said he considered 1 l.s and 10s a fair wage. The work' was not really hard, hut if the Council thought more should he paid lie was quite agreeable.

Cr Stevenson did not agree with

the previous speaker as to wages. He knew an employer that was at present paying a hoy IDs a day. It was very difficult to gel men even at 12s and J3s a dav.

Cr Thompson considered the altitude of Councillors was inconsist-

cnt. AI the last meeting a motion to grant tlie roadmen one shilling u day extra was lost, and lie then moved the granting id! a war bonus of a shilling a day. In order to get. this through he, in a weak moment, agreed to the addition of a (danse asking that a little more energy he nut into Ihe work. He didn't think they would lie aide to gel men in Foxtail at the wages. The other men left because of the motion on the hooks, and he would like to see the latter part of that motion rescinded.

Or Freeman said lie would support the motion if the wages were itdvanced to 12s and I.ls.

Cr Bryant said he would support the motion as it stood. This was not casual work, hut was a regular job and paid wet and dry.

Or Stevenson said that when the mol ion was defeated at the hist meeting he was not opposed to the

increase in wages. There was a lot of talk about the men on the roads not working very hard, and Ids attitude was more to let the men know (he Council wits not satislied I ban anything else.

Cr Henderson considered the wages offered were fair wages for regular work. The Government was paying 11s to foremen and !Js to the other men, and the Comity Council was only paying madmen nine shillings per day. The motion was carried.