PUBLIC OPINION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10611, 9 June 1920, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION

THE MANGAHAO HYDRO. BLEOTRIO WORKS

(To the Editor "N.Z. Times.”)

Sir,—Wo notice in your report of the Parliamentarians visit to the abo> e works that the men employed were interviewed in regard to their conditions, and in respect to this (Lionel Mitchell explains, amongst other things: ‘The comfort of the men is the first consideration.” Going on the gallant Colonel states: "The tents have been provided with wooden floors and chimneys, and the men are contented/* M e agree with Colonel Mitchell that the “comfort ot thee men is the first consideration, or should be. We, however, regret to have to disagree with him when he states “the tents have been provided with wooden floors and chimneys, and the men are contented.” This is not' so. By instructions from the New Zealand Workere' Union we proceeded to the works for the purpose of ■ interviewing the men, and incidentally inspecting the men's accommodation. We , found the men, many of them, very discontented owing to the fact that there are no floors or chimney's in their tents. We visited several, and found the men's complaints to be true. Neither at the first or second camps are there any sanitary conveniences provided for them. At the lower camp, only about three miles from Shannon, we inspected several tents and found them in a filthy state through no fault of the men, but owing to the fact that there was no ’wooden floors laid down. At this camp we noticed that several families are located here—from very young children to young boys and girls of 12 or 14 years old—and at this camp there exists no sanitation whatever. We are strongly of opinion that this camp has been long enough in exist, anco to have enabled the authorities to attend to "the comforts of the men,” which Colonel Mitchell admits “is the first consideration." We do not propose just at present to go any further into this matter as wo quite understand that the present Minister for Public Works is as anxioua as ourselves to remedy the evils we complain of. We. however, trust the Minister will accelerate matters in this respect in so fay as existing conditions will permit. As we have arranged with the Minister that check inspectors shall be appointed by the men on the different works going on, we anticipate that existing grievances, or any grievances that mav arise, will be adjusted by the engineer and check inspector on the job as quickly as circumstances will permit. STEVE BOREHAM, C E. BALDWIN, New Zealand Workers’’TJnion.

THE EMPIRE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (To tho Editor/'N.Z. Times.") Sir,—We want to endow this hostel, the need for which is very urgent and very pressing, and tho site for which is already acquired. It is a terrible reflection for us, who owe our very lives to the sacrifices of-our merchant seamen, that, when they come into the Port of Loudon hundreds of them are unable to

find a decent _ bed, a decent meal, and decent recreation, which is all they ask for.. All the existing hostels are crowded out and are turning hundreds of men. away every night, and the result is they are driven to the haunts of vice, which abound in the district—which exist indeed to prey on these men, or else they -can only walk the streets. And these are the men who saved the Empire. We cannot all give large sums, but most people can afford 2s 6d, and wr want to get a million half-crowns in order that the Memorial Hostel may be opened as soon as possible. Ther? can be no delay in paying the debt that every person in this Empire owes to these men. (Signed) SOMERSET.

Subscriptions should be sent to Hi* Grace the Duke of Somerset, Wakefield House, 33, Cheapside, London, E.C.2.