STONE- BREAKING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3282, 13 August 1872, Page 3

STONE- BREAKING.

TO THK KIUTOK. Snt—Although tho City Council havo taken a step m the right direction, in the matter t-f having the maintenance metal broken without the intervoutiou of contractors, Biill, their system is anything but perfect. The arraiigeßitntis :\a follows : —They trive tho 6tonebreaker 2m 10d per j-ard, for getting, carting, and breaking to llh inch gauge. I need hardly tell you that this is au extremely low price; in fact, it iflja starvation one ; aud owing to the d flicult hauling out of the Loith, carters don't car.c for the job at any pric<-.. As it is, they receive 10d per yard from the breaker, .who has to collect the stones in the bed - <>f the river, ui:d help to (ill them; so that, in point, of fact, .tho stone-breaker has little over Is (id per yard" for breaking the metal. Now all reasonable men know that «rch a tignre is altogether too low, and is quite insniticient for the work required. >To these statements tho Council may reply that they.havehitht'rtogot metal broken for the price mentioned. lam aware of that; but there is tins difference, that every day the stones in the bed of the LcHh arc '^coming scarcer and more difficult to «et. It cannot be expected that tho

boulders ia the Lcith > will last for over. Such being the case; the Council ought to make some new arrangement. Let them Arrango.jwith cartons to, deliver the stones where the Inspector wants.the metal broken, and give the breakers the usual price for breaking it, for poor men cannot afford to lose half their time running about after carters. —I am, &c., A STQNEfIKBAKEK.