Pride or punishment

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 466, 15 December 1992, Page 4

Pride or punishment

• Perhaps a response to "Fair Enough" is hardly warranted, but I have not been subjected to personal public judgement before. My life has been very simple, born one of eleven children, worked through schooling to buy uniforms and books and moved to Waiouru 5 November 1957 on a motor-cycle I was paying off. Commenced a motortrade apprenticeship early 1958 receiving £210s per fortnight, so to make ends meet and start my own new family I had four jobs, during 1958/59. Following 20 years Turn to page 6

LETTERS

Three-job Waiouru man replies

From page 4 hard-working but satisfying service in the New Zealand Army I retired in 1983 and commenced pinus contorta contracting. In the first year I chased work to keep five local so-called 'undesirable elements* in full employment, until the Fijian cutters came onto the scene and pushed all others to one side. That year included pinus contorta cutting on Defence land, Maori land above forestry, forestry thinning and planting and firewood cutting and/or scrub-cutting to fill the gaps. Today we all live in a completely different, highly competitive environment: contract pricing, very high unemployment, everchang ing do le regulations, work for one month then nothing for an unknown period and the attitude and motivational levels of those unemployed. My motive is that of a work-a-holic but I'm really frightened that my fate may be an early grave if I give up hard physical work. By the way, I proposed an access-type full-time pinus contorta control/training team to Defence two and a half years ago. Through SERCO that proposal is being redeveloped, right now, for representation to Defence. Such a programme , wisely led and run on a positive business footing (not the ineffective Task Force Green) would provide long-term employment opportunities to the Ruapehu District's unemployed. Sir, your concern is, I hope, for the local 'undesirable element', whom I refer to as our youth and our future. If so why not support me in managing the Defence pinus contorta programme locally. Bob Vine Ruapehu District Councillor Major ( Retired )