CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2392, 6 September 1886, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. ;• To the Editor, Sib,—You appear to take it'almost for granted that Or Hessey will bo. re-electod to a seat at the table of our. Municipal Couneil. If you admire independence, you are no doubt rit;kt in wishiac; to m him returned ; but there aro acts which are apparently due to independence, but in reality to selfishness, or, to apply s very inild term, to shortsightedness. 1 stinll leave it to Mr Hessey as a Councillor to elect which of the two he prefers to bo charged with, and quote two of hiß actions in tha Council to him. In the first place the burgteses will probably remember that last summer all the shopkeepers in the town suffered & great deal from dust, which penetrated their promises and caused a considorabloamount of extra damage, besides involving extra work. It was prepared to get a watercart, towanh which the shopkeepers wert prepared to pay, I think, half the cost, What did Ci Hessey do ? He was not a shopkeeper, and was not concerned with what arinoyanco and loss .those who were might be put to. ' Dust would not hurt his crops on the outskirts of the town, so he argued that it could cause no damage in the centre of it. Tho opposition which ho offered carried the day. In the second place, it.was Cr Hessey who brought forward tho motion to reduce tho wages for labor employed by the corporation. If Cr Hessey can mako explanations that will satisfy the shopkeepsrs on the one point and tho laboring classes on the other, ho will;-no doubt; be ro-olected, but if ho does not, I can only place him fourth or fifth when the result of the poll, is posted up. I am &c., Aaous,

. THE PRICE OF SHEARING. Tothb Editor. Sir.—There is a great deal of talk at | the present time about the proposed reductions to fifteen shillings of the price of ahearinf, bo, as an old shearer, and one who has travelled all over the.oblony, I should like to state ray opinion on the subject. I think before squatters reduce the price, they should be compelled to house and feed shearers in a' better pray than thoy do at present. On the majority of stations, the accomodation for men is infonor to that given to swine. The men are often herded together in filthy whares without ventilation and without banks for half of them, and often without a closet anywhero near the premises, The scenes on lots of stations at meal times beggars description. The tables often are too small to accomodate the number of men, often there are not enough eating utensils, the men having to wait their tum, and the cooks are often chosen with the Idea that anyone is good'enough to prepare food for shearers, as long as he can be got for cheap wages. Let anyone who doubts my word visit a few' stations during the shearing aud they will find that I have not exaggerated in the least. Mr Dodson M.H,!r., recently brought before the House 'the., disgraceful condition of Bhearers wharos in the Marlbourough districts .and' as I have worked in that district I can safety;say that they cannot compare for wretchedness with some of the North Island whares, especially those on the East Coast of the ;Wairarapa. Now considering the hard wayin: which shearers havo to work, the 'oss through wet weather, the expense of traveling, the wear of tools, the filthy way they, are often housed, and the heavy oompeUtioii, I think they aw only fairly paid, and they

are; very foolish if thiy accept' ah)y rii& tfon'in their wages, for it must.be?: ;ttirfi9 in mind that sheep are bcjnj Drid heavier, find managers are getting.mbw) .and more particular every /ycars/Teti ,1 am sure that every shearer wdila mow. ghoerfnlly accept; a lower price if they were treated better, and 1 think.it is only right that .Government should appoint Inspectors to visit stations, and; examinemen's .whares, and that an employer should be forced to house his men in a manner at least better than he keeps hi» pigs. Hoping somo abler pen than mint will take up this matter, and apologising for taking so much of your lam,, &c.,'■«(■''