The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1892.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4028, 5 February 1892, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1892.

The following semi-official statement which we published in our last issue is calculated to do the Government a good deal of mischief amongst the settlers in the bush. The commonest topics of conversation in that distriot are rates of wages and values of work. Men there are thoroughly well informed on these points and recently publio opinion has gone dead against the Ministry on these particular questions. The semi-official statement to which we refer runs as follows In answer to the allegations of undue profit lo contractors under fhe Co-operative system, the Publio Works Department state that no contract is let to any ono man, All aro let to gangs, one momber of which is elected head mau' to deal with the Department, but all aro on an equal footing, The employment of wages men is not allowed under any oiroiimstonces on the Eketahuna section, which is regarded as typical. Tho earthwork ranges from Is to Is 4d per oubio yard and othor rates are in proportion.

This may be partly true but it altogether fails to refute the allegations which have been made. Whenaganger offers men who are working on local contracts at eight shillings a day an extra shilling a day tc come to !nm there is some proof at least that all men are not on an equal footing. The names of the men who accepted work on the Eketahuna line on these terms are known, and unless they have been induced to foreswear themselves they .are available as witnesses against, the Government, The names of the men who have openly boosted that they can earn a pound a day on their contracts, are also known, and the statements they have made oan be attested-by numerous witnesses, Then with respect to the earthwork being let at from one shilling to one shilling and fourpence per cubic yard, What is the real value of such work ? We have already by comparing these rates with the prices paid by local bodies, shown that they are excessive. The minimum price paid by the County for earth work is sixpence per cubic foot, 'the minimum paid by the Qovernment'is one shilling. This is a somewhat startling fact which as yet remains unexplained,