WAGES FOR PUBLIC WORKS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 270, 14 August 1915, Page 3

WAGES FOR PUBLIC WORKS.

POSITION CLEARLY STATED. "THESE ARE NOT NORMAL TIMES" WELLINGTON, Friday. "You must recollect this fact," said the Hon W. Frassr, to a deputation of railway and road construction work. ers who had asked him for a rise in the rate per day of wages. "Some of you have t recognsied it in your remarks, that these are not normal times, and if it were not for the purpose of finding men with employment at present any Government would be justified in saying, 'We are going to knock off half the men.' You must look at the position in this way, that just now public works are net in ordinary respect public works, but largely relief works." Th e request of the deputation (which was introduced by Mr Payne, M.P.), was among other things . jthat the Avage of 9s per day should bo increased. Mr IT. T. Armstrong, national secref tary of the Railway and Road Construction Workers' Union, was the - chief speaker. He pointed out that 9s pe,r day wa s not sufficient, with hte abnormal prices ruling", to enable the I men and their families to live decently, especially in the, backblooks,where many of them were sent. The Minister added that this last month he had put on 800 or 900 extra men to find work for them to tide them over the winter. "I believe," he said, "that as soon as sprnig sets in there will be a demand for labour. It is generally understood that farmers and others will not be abl e to get the same number of men in the summer months as before, because,- so many are away at the war, but they must have these in en. The primary industries have got. to be recognised first. In Australia the public works men wer e ' not paid as well during the war as here. They only received 7s or Ss a day, and were worked only hlaf/the week. Some men here were making up to 10s and lis a day. It was not easy for the Government to do this in abnormal times There I was also a danger of not knowing whe. I ther he could get money for public ' works and keep 4000 or -3000 men going. He was doing the very bc;3t he could to relieve th etrouble, but there was only a limited amount of money ; available., and it had to be spread over as many as possible. The more he gave per man the less number ho could employ. He would, however, I soak to his colleagues again upon the j subject, but he would not hold out any j hope that the request would be, granted. ( When summer comes a large number I of men on public works will be told 1 "There is work in the country at good wages, and you must do it." This position has got to be faced. We cannot go on when ether work is available keeping them on public works. I don't anticipate any difficulty, because, as I say, there will be good wages offered them in country occupatons."