PETONE LINE LARKS.

NZ Truth, Issue 122, 19 October 1907, Page 5

PETONE LINE LARKS.

THE WILD MAN FROM&ORNBO

Inspects Lee, Bouncs/and Bully.

How Werkers are Humbugged for Theii' Pfa

«»?+* generally admitted that it is not the Government's duty to find employment % the people, Jut at the same time-, if Government does 55!- y men ' ? Should see to it xnat employees \ are treated on the same footing men employed ia private concerns.! Lately this paper ™™^VV ec^ pt of a' number of from, men employed ou the Petqne-Wellimrton railway line construction works, and it, looks very much as if those men who are employed under Government have had a particularly rotten time of it, and such being the case, "Truth" rises to ask what the devil Government means by it, and whether the official jackanapes concerned will be spoken to, and told plainly not to let it happen again under the oain of being kicked out and advised to ee t W + ° + u e !?T here - M , ost oi the fflory attached to the sultry observations Sf^V 0 ! 156 made V hovers around an individual named Lee, some sort of an inspector, we believe he is but who seems behind his ace, and ought to rank as first apostle to ft.im.on Legree, the brutal ni-eer driver, and basher. Lee has so endeared himself to the men unfortunate enough to be under him. that ne is known by several names, most of which are unprintable. One he I wIU stick to him for life and that is the

"WILD MAN PROM BORNEO" ™*Xi 8t there is Quite -a formidable indictment, and "Truth" does n ot particularly care if mn* 6 °* the men>s Advances. b Siv «?*+£ t re - / uffled - Lee is * bully of the boisterous variety and threatens stouch if he gets back hi ™ , , anfl J\ *he S e circumstances a ?ilt£ £ + J° mind it; if he Sets a little of the sauce he- occasionally serves out, and it has more effect, too, if served up on paper. It is not very long ago that Lee sacked on the spot, two men who declined to turn up to work on a Sunday _ morning. These two men hved at the Upper Hutt, ami foumf it impossible to get to work, and T?i %* S u out of the question. L<ee would hear of no excuse he sacked them on the spot. Moreover he seems to have his favorites too' as these -men were receiving 8s a day, had been railway gang casuals f ° r Years, and had nothing against them. But Lee loves wasters and consequently wasters are kept on at which, occurred a couple of months ago, and "Truth" has been savinsthings up. The kind of bounce and bully this gentle creature Lee is ?2S, lre easil 7 gauged from another little incident which happened the other day, when a man who had been employed on the work and had been humbugged and bamboo-Jed m his efforts to get his n a y coniplamerf to Inspector Lee, who at once BRUTALLY BLACKGUARDED THE WORKER, and accused him of purloining a worthless pair of oil-skins, and had the further temerity to declare that unless the man returned the worthless things he would not receive his money, and further threatened, using insultm" abusive, ami indecent language at the time, to kick the man 'off the works, a threat which Lee did not carry into execution, which shows that Lee is only a Thilly and a bounce, and has not the courage of t,m „ .Inspector Lee had, Truth" advises him, better be careful when threatening men, otherwise be maght come to grief. It is not only with Lee tha-t this paper wishes to deal. One complaint is that the men are humbugged about receiving their payv It seems that it is the usual thing for the men to ask the ganger to send their money to aiiv railway station they name from where they can draw ib at their convenience. One man whose encounter with Lee has been mentioned, directed that his money should be paid him at Nghauranfa. if or days and djays the man called at the station, but there was no money for him. He spoke to Lee about it, and met with a torrent of abuse, and after worrying everybody concerned or likely to know anything about it, the man was informed that his money was at 'Petone. He got the money at the Petone station, and the paymaster there informed him that it had been Waiting there for a fortnight for him. This is rather interesting too. m the face of time-keeper Chesterman's assertion that he had no idea where the money was. Another instance of THE SLIP-SHOD ARRANGEMENTS for paying the men on this work is supplied by another worker, who suffered Lee for one day, and left it to get better work, better pay. and far better treatment on the Seatoun tunnel works. TJbis man went to, Nghauranga on the pay day. for the eight shillings due to him.' and after trudging out to that breezy suburb and losing a halfday's work through it, was informed that f*e money had teen sent to the Te Aro station. That was on a Friday. The following day the man want to Te Aro for Ir.s rnonev and dt wasn't there tlun. He went on. the Monday, with the same result, and succeeded m getting 7s the next day, the reason why the bobt was knocked off was not forthcoming. Anyhow, it cost that man twedve or thirteen shillings to collect his paltry seven bob. and it is no wontfer that working men are saying tha\t the Government is the worst euap.loyer m the Dominion. What "truth" wants to act at is this. Wh6> is responsible for this damned hum\bue*ring nonsense ? Working men canAot afford to be bamboozled and se,nt from rallar to post COLLECTING TtTEIR WAG^S because some tired time-keeper <>r ganger or inspector overlooks them and makes mistakes. This Lees man seems to be a Tartar too. Is there anyone above him, thews are n.cnty- . under him and they are made !vwar-< ? he m fact m a waiiflPul msitmop too ! Who is Lee's 'ross^ If i:~* jis such an entity let him l-.avA n-'s iverv honker person ovet thn cnaie