Tourist and Health Resort.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43218, 22 August 1907, Page 2

Tourist and Health Resort.

TE AROHA GARDENERS’ WAGES.

EVASIVE REPLY.

MR POLAND’S DISSATISFACTION.

In the House on July 31st Mr Poland asked the Minister in charge of Tourist and Health Resorts whether he would place a sum of money on the supplementary estimates sufficient to increase the pay of the two gardeners at Te Aroha domain from 7s to 8s por day. The Minister replied that the men at present receive Is per day more than the rate paid by the Te Aroha Domain Board, and that they were paid irrespective of whether the weather is wet or fine.

In commenting on the reply, Mr Poland (Ohinemnri) expressed dissatisfaction with the reply given to his question. The reply was a gem in the way of indirect answering. It stated that the men were getting Is per day more now than was paid when the domain was under the control of the Domain Board, and also that the me*, were paid whether it was wet or fine. He presumed that the Minister was paid whether wet or fine, and also that the officer in charge of the department was paid whether it was wet or fine. But these men also had to work whether it was wet or fine, and, therefore, he could not see why it should be suggested that they should not be paid. So far as that portion of the answer went it Was no answer at all. And because the men were paid Is a day more than the Domain Board paid was no reason why they should not get a living wage. Then the Minister went on to say that it must not be overlooked that the expenditure on the domain already exceeded the revenue. If the expenditure exceeded the revenue, was that any reason why the workmen should not get a living wage ?, If that argument applied, why should the general manager have his salary raised from £6OO to £650 ? If it was a fact that Te Aroha domain was not paying, neither was Rotorua, yet the engi neer at Rotorua had his salary raised from £375 to £SOO. But it did not matter when the applicant for an increase was a man with a family to support on less than sufficient for a decent living. He also saw that Hanmer Springs was not paying, the revenue being £1839, but the gardener at Hanraer had. his salary raised from £145 to £156, which was not a bit too muoh considering the nature of the work. But after all, the Minister did n it tell him whether he was going te give the increase of Is a day to the men at Te Aroha as asked. It was an absolute disgrace to a Government calling itself a Liberal and democratic Government to set such a dastardly example to other employers in the colony as to pay 7a a day, with present cost of living, and then to say they were paid on wet or fine days, and he hoped the Minister would remedy the matter.