THE CONTRACT SYSTEM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1528, 6 November 1883, Page 2

THE CONTRACT SYSTEM.

(TO THE EDITOR.) Sir,~l regret that some one who can wield a more powerful pen than I can lay claim to does not endeavor to enlighten the public with regard to the existing rotten "contract system." I am aware that the object of inviting tenders for work is to get it done for the smallest possible sum. But in the frantic competition which ensues some one is sure to put in a price so rediculously low that it is quite inadequate to carry through the work in a thorough and efficient manner. Wo have many instances of this sort in the Wairarapa from time to time. As a matter of' coureo the lowest tenderer usually obtains the contract, and in order to make it pay he endeavors in the first place to sub-let as much as possible at starvation prices—dopends upon the leniency of tho ongineer-knocks it out of tho working man, drives them to within an inch of their lives, like galley slaves, in fact what tho laborer earns on some of the road contracts at present under construction is little short of blood nreY ft may bo interesting to knf' to w this driving business is manase!|Btfhe mocks operandi is as' nigger-driving classofenjployers usuato keep a few followers or fancy mon wso .sometimes for the mere braggadocio of tho thing, to be reckoned better men than their follows will almost burst themselves, slog into work as if it was for a wager, go at it bald-headed with hats off to lead on and run tho rest of the men- In most cases they receive extra pay for so doing, and those who will not or are physically incapable of ' keeping up the killing pace very soon receive a broad hint that they are no longer wanted, and not only is this the case, but men are shuffled in their time, sometimes to the extent of twenty minutes to half an hour a day. Tins is no exaggerated picture, but the exact positive truth. Then there is the other trick of boarding the workmen, for which is charged 16s per week, son> e times 18s, and which really costs only 10s per week, cook's wages included. Slops, tobacco, <fcc., are also sold at pre- " datory prices, in fact tho truck system is i! in full force on many of tho road works "' ; in the Wairarapa at the present moment. I should bo sorry to have it. inferred that all contractors ard of tho' class I have described. By no means. There are many of them upright honorable' men who would scorn to tako any advantage of their workmen m any shape or form. But while the contract systom exists tho Barao nnsatistactory state of things will con-" i tinue, which might be obviated by discontinuing the system in so far as it relates to road formation, This kind of work might be given to parties of men experienced insuchwork.at fair reasonable prices or directly under tho supervision of tho inspector by day labor. Lot a fair days work be tho rule: no harassing or bullying of men will bo required. Tho very knowledge that the wages are sum and payments regular, and that there is no middle men to be enriched by their toil and sweat, will induco men to tacklo such work with alacrity, who, otherwise, would shun some of these man-killing contractors' works as a plague. Wo should hear no more of work bein» shunned or of not being performed in a reasonable and proper time, neither would it be possible for such things to happen as filling the bottom of embankments with logs as has been dono on somo of the recently-made bush roads in the Forby-Mile Bush However watchful or vigilant engineers or their inspectors may be they aro no match for astute wide-a-wako contrac-. tors, They know how to be obsequious and deferential, and in this way gain tho favor of the officer supervising their work: that gained everything elso is easy. While I would be sorry to charge any engineer or inspector with being lenient with ono man and strict and exact with another, yet what seemed very like such a thing has come under my notice inoro that onco, Where one particular contractor was ordered not to cover in any coverts nntil the workmanship was examined , and passed, another contractor w'&i,dj£ subjected to any such check—he fills in culverts to his own satisfaction without being examined in any way, and covered them in at once. Now, although tho work in the last-named case may have been well and honestly porformed, still nothing, should be taken for granted. The samo rule should be applied impartially all round, and not make fish of one and flesh of another. As you are aware, sir, thoro is a largo amount of moaoy being expended in tho Wairarapa just now under the Eoads and Bridges Construction Act. This expenditure should be carried out in an intelligent way, with all nocossary and legitimate checks for tho protection of the working man, from the mischievous effects of the truck system, which should be stampod out before it gets a firm footing in the district. .We sometimes hear it assigned as a reason why certain roads works are not being carried out in a vigorous manner, is because labor is just now being diverted into other channels censequent on shearing operations, a plausible excuse, but far fi'OBJ tho truth. There iaplenty of labor to supply all requirements, for during the past three or four months every steamer from tho south has brought .over a number of experienced roadmakers, many of whom have found, their way up here, and it may be taken I for granted that those employers who I have a difficulty in keeping up their full complement of hands are amongst those who are difficult to 'please, and who do not act fairly and squarely by their men. No consideration should be extended to them on the' worn out excuse of a scarcity of labor, for it ia not true. I might say more on the subject, but have already trespawed too far on your space to insure foße> tion. lam,&c, Veritas,