GOLF COURSE JOB

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 115, 13 April 1940, Page 9

GOLF COURSE JOB

MEN’S ACTION DENOUNCED. MINISTER’S REMARKS. Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, April 12. A denunciation of the action of the men employed on relief work at the Bunvooil golf course and a denial that any injustice had been done by his action in dismissing them were made by the Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple), to-night. The statement was in reply to the remarks of Air P. M. Butler, secretary of the General Labourers’ Federation, who stated that he had inspected the jol> and who had complained of the treatment received by the men at the hands of Air Semple. The Minister said he had read the report with some amazement, particularly the paragraph suggesting that a gross injustice had been perpetrated against tbe men. All his life he had been a defender of honest working men and was still the champion of all who gave a fair day’s work for decent remuneration.

“I want no lessons in this connection from Air Butler or anyone else,” said Air Semple. “I have yet to learn that it is the function of a trade union official to defend or attempt to justily the conduct of men of this type. AH' Butler would lead the public to believe that I dismissed these men merely on hearsay and second-hand information. I did nothing of the kind. I watched the men working, and I have sufficent knowledge of a man’s capabilities to judge whether he is working. I have spent most of my life contracting in the industrial world, and I venture to sav I. would not pay the majority of these men 10s a week, let alone £4 Bs. I could give many instances. One or two will suffice to prove to tbe public whether I was justified in the action I took. DAY’S WORK. “I saw three men on the Monday morning start a new job. Those men were wheeling soil about 50 yards and dumping it. J went back that evening at 4.30 when the men knocked off with Air Langbein, district engineer. AVe measured up the soil shitted during the day by these three men. it measured not more than three vards! The rate paid on Public Works jobs for this class of work would be Is per yard at the most. J hose men had earned for the nation on that basis Is each for the day and received for the shilling’s worth of work 17s 4d each. “Not only was Air Langbein present to measure up the spoil. It was also witnessed bv Air Blank, secretary ol the Golf Club, by two Press reporters, an overseer, and a timekeeper. “The second instance was that of two men wheeling spoil about 45 yards up a grade of about one in 14. I did not witness this myself, but was assured bv Air Blank, the foreman and timekeeper that they would swear on oath in any Court that these nien shifted six barrowloads of soil m a “It was on this job that I tested out the time it would take to shut six harrowloads of soil. The job was done in 10 minutes without anv attempt to hustle, and 1 had not been accustomed to this work for many years. An ordinary Public "Works employee accustomed to that type of work could have cut my time in half. he rate paid on public works for that job would not exceed Is 3d per yard, so that- the actual value of the day s work for these two men on a contract basis would have been 7RI. They earned for the nation 3.1 d each and received 17s 4d each. “WORST FORAI OF LOAFING ” “This is the worst form of imposi tion and loafing 1 have ever lieaid of,” Mr Semple said. “If I had not taken this action when told of it J would not have been lit to hold down by job of trust for the nation. In addition, these men had a job control committee operating and held stopwork meetings at will and demanded pav for the time not worked, and, I understand, received it. J hat- is nothing less than an outrage. In addition to this, sabotage and theft weie common on the job. , , “These men were receiving the trade union rate of pay. They are the highest- paid relief workers in the noilcl, and Air Butler now requests that an inquiry be held, with more cost to the country. As far as I am concerned I would not have been doing my duty to the nation if I had not taken the action I did. I have no apology to offer to Air Butler or anyone else. \Yncnever I find men ‘swinging the lead or indulging in organised scoundrel ism I will take whatever action 1 deem advisable in the interests of the country ”

Mr P. Af Butler, after inspecting the Bin-wood Golf Course job said that in his opinion the men had been grossly misrepresented and maligned. He was of the opinion that all the available information had not been given to Air Semple during his visit to Bin-wood. Air Butler said ho was certain that if the full facts had been placed before Air Semple a different line of action would have been taken. The work he continued, did not directly come under the jurisdiction of the Labourers' Federation, nor was anv award applicable to it. The men were paid in accordance with a I unlit- ■ Works agreement. However, the Lab(Hirers’ Federation and the Canterbury General Labourers’ Union, together with the men concerned, ielt that a gross injustice had been perpetrated, and had accordingly asked the Federation of Labour to make representations for a full inquiry to he made into the matter. The men deeply resented the imputations of loafing and indecent conduct which were levelled against them.