ON THE WATERFRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1921, Page 8

ON THE WATERFRONT.

THE PROBLEM OF LABOR. QUESTION OF PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT. Industrial conditions on the New Zealand waterfronts, and the probability of a solution of the problem by evolving a system of permanent employment for wharf laborers, were referred to by the Dominion organiser of the New Zealand AVelfare League yesterday, in addressing a meeting of New Plymouth business men.

‘Tn Taranaki,” said Mr. Curnow, “you are lucky in that you don’t have to meet the problems as in Wellington or Auckland, but what is done on the Auckland and Wellington wharves is costing the province more than would pay the whole of the interest on your harbor loan twice over. To small firms it means three or four hundred pounds a year, not for the extra rate of wages, but as a result of the go-slow policy’ In Wellington the cost to the public is 65 per cent., and dT this 30 per cent. iis not wages, but sheer go-slow and inefficiency, and that is affecting the whole of Taranaki.”

Air. Curnow said the question of permanent employment on the waterfront had been put forward ais a solution of the difficulties. The great question raised up to the present had been always: How was any scheme to provide for the difference between the busy seasons and the slack periods? ‘’When vou get down to facts that difficulty disappears,” said Mr. Curnow, who proceeded to cite the case of Wellington as an illustration. In that city, he said, there were an average of 430 men engaged in the slack season, compared with an average for the busy period of 560. This was a comparatively small difference, and with a staff of 400 permanent men and 100 reserves the difficulty would be overcome.

As showing the wastage of the present system, Mr. Curnow said that in Wellington there were 1200 individual men employed on the wharf at Wellington, but the most engaged at one time in the very busiest season was only over 500, thus leaving 650 more men than were required; These included a. large number of skilled artisans and mechanics, who were urgently wanted in their respective trades. By giving permanent employment to a certain number there would be many advantages gained to the worker—assured employment, superannuation scheme, decent conditions of working, etc., while lie would earn as much as the man on the wharf did now. At the same time the public would get bettor service, because a permanent staff would be gaining experience all the time. The scheme would eliminate the wasters and undesirables who found it impossible to do a week’s work, but generally did about three days and then knocked off. With permanency the undesirables would find the job unattractive. There would be more safety for the men concerned under the new proposal, for at present wharf employees braved a big riifk through unskilled handling of goods on the part of many of the workers. ‘lf the scheme could be instituted in Auckland or Wellington the colony would be saved millions a year.

Soihe people said that the proposal would not do for the smaller ports, but Mr. Curnow urged the local branch of the league to investigate the possibilities of starting- such a movement now, and bliild on it. It would be better than waiting till the trouble was on them and the undesirables had got in.