A PERIL ON THE OHAKUNE ROAD.

NZ Truth, Issue 73, 10 November 1906, Page 3

A PERIL ON THE OHAKUNE ROAD.

TO THE EDITOR

Sir,— Permit me space. in your paper to notify the general public of a grave danger existing on the Ohakune road. Some five miles from Ohakune there exists a quarry wherein toil eight men-. Over these men has been placed a ganger,- bearing the name of Calvert, but whether he is qualified for such a billet needing so much authority • raid chesKswelling the following will show.' During the last few weeks heavy masses of rock and boulders have crashed down without the slightest warning, and on two occasions missed some men working beneath the devil knows how. Previous to this an -experienced 'quarryman had attempted to dislodge' the overhanging boulder but was ordered down by ganger Calvert and sent to the far end of the quarry. Shortly afterwards the mass crashed down and Calvert has to thank his lucky star that he is not to be put upon his trial for manslaughter, he having had his attention drawn to the dancer ous state of the rocks on two occasions, but told the men instead to ■"get a move on," meaning t o continue .spalding. On the next occasion another huge mass of rock a nd debris crashed down, falling but a few inches off a man busily engaged m spalding rock. Now, Sir, ganger Calvert was supposed to be keeping a look-out and to warn the men to clear if necessary, should he shout. Instead he had his back turned and was holding some sort of a confab with a stray individual. Thus did fall No. 2 occur, and as an eye-wit-ness I marvelled at the escape of those men. In this quarry are a number of skilled men, skilled m the tactics of quarrying, and they are loud m their indignation that such an individual should bs placed over them. Calvert, the. men say (and which I thoroughly 7 confirm, free from all bias), has utterly no idea of quarry work ; m fact he often seeks advice from one of his men re the best method of blasting, etc. Being utterly inefficient at the game, he certainly did not . obtain his billet through knowledge of the work m question. He hails from Timaru, where also a certain high official of the Goveirn.ment Department resided, and we had not to seek far ere we learnt what kind of a pitchfork dropped him here. Apparently men are to risk their lives and to be dominated oveir by this individual, installed by the illustrious Government Works official or officials, who dictates to men who are as skilled m their work as he is ignorant. No wonder the men are refusing to stay and run the risk, particularly, too, when m this game the men only receive 8s per diem, and from private contractors they receive 9s and 10s per day, and run no risk to speak of. Why this individual does not do I his share of. work instead of confusing men at theirs; might be intercstine; to know. And the public wonder why there is so much chaos at the front m the King Country Mairi Trunk. It is time that these wastrels were cleared out and practical men put m charge; then men may stay. In a letter to Mr Massey, I stated the whole case as it now stands, and will forward on for publication a copy of his reply thereto.— Yours, etc., PROTEST. Ohakune, Oct. 29, 19OG.