Untitled

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 191, 30 March 1893, Page 2

(To the Editor.) Sir, —As a member of a Society which seeks to protect labouring men from the oppression and injustice of selfish employers I cannot remain silent while so much is done which I consider to be legally and morally wrong and oppressive. It is well known that the Kauri Company have had a rush of vessels awaiting cargoes, which necessitated the pushing of the mills. All sorts of schemes were tiled to get the maximum of work out of the men, the convenience of the latter being totally ignored. Soon after four in the morning the whistle was heard and the mill was kept going constantly till about half past seven at night. The men submitted to all these schemes for the g-ood of the Company at considerable inconvenience to themselves and should have received the thanks of those whom they obliged. But let us S'?* what was done by the Company in the way of thanks to labour. On board the barque Sumatra some men were receiving 10s per day for a ten hours day at loading- the vessel, which sum was surely not too much for an odd job like this. The captain was persuaded to reduce the pay to Ss for ten hours work, and when two men refused the letter mm, their places were filled by two ;

men sent by the Kauri Company’s manager. Again, last .Saturday about a dozen men were discharged without a week's notice, and the u h-’ve repeatedly done this before. • / !.[>.•(! y, i on told, has been previously taught by experience that a week's notice is the employee’s just and legal due, but they know that men do not like to press for it because if they did they would be barred from further employment at any time. A man should not be required to ask for what is known to be his due, and does it not appear to you, Mr Editor, that to take advantage of men in this way is; very much akin to rob aery ? I could write a good deal more on the recent doings of the K.T.C. but I am afraid I have already been too lengthy.— Yours etc., A Knight of Labour.