The Timarn Herald. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER, 19, 1889.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 4697, 19 November 1889, Page 2

The Timarn Herald. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER, 19, 1889.

;oMt:i;oi)V, who is, we suppose, interistcil iu tbc liibmir mavkut on the "West Const of tbiu Isliiud, ban sent us ii recent copy of the Grey River Arjvi, with a specially markt'il paragraph drawing uttcution to what is being tlone and is about to be iloue on several uf lh" Aliaura- Reef ton sections of the Mitllaiul Railway. It will l>e remembered that certain contracts have been let, and of conrau tlm contractor is naturally anxious to make the most of the summer mouths, in a climate which, taking the year through, in none of the driest. There are twenty-six miles of continuous railway to he made on the Abama-Reefton portion of the Midlan.il Railway during the enduing eighteen months, so that it w evident that there will be a considerable demand for certain classes of labour in that part of tho country for some time to come. Besideß that there will before lon,i; be contracts let on this nide of the range, whieli must necessarily give a further utituulus to the liitiMiir mnrket. The Grey River Jrgv.f, referring to what is going on on the other side of the range, Haya that the labonr market for nav ry work is anything but over supplied, and anticipate? that there will be a great influx, of men. The case is fairly stated. There is no attempt made to deceive labourers as to their prospect." ou the West Cuast. It is evident that to make the railway the contructoi must have a sufficiency of labour, and we dnrc eay our contemporury is right aa to the Btntc of the market. Never thelcss we ore inclined to think that the paragraph which has been so carefully inniked for our inspection, and whieli we have no doubt has been sent abroad pretty freely throughout the colony. may have the effect of inducing a •gone: many men to go to the West Coast wht hid much better remain where they are even thuugh their time he not. fiillj occupied. Iu the first place it will uol be the smallest iibc for men who are nol accustomed to navvy work, or soim classi-8 of bush work, to go then: at all There may not just at present In.' 'juiti a sufiieU'Ecy of the right class of laboui on the ground, but there is plenty of il remaining in the colony notwithstanding the so called ixodus of the last year oi two. It is absolutely certain that tin Midland Railway will be constructed In navvies. The contractors will not hi nnder the necessity of engaging all sort; nnd conditions of men, as was the cast iu the i-arly days of railway const rnctioi in the colonies. It is just as; will tha that should be understood at once, a: the knowledge may save a large arnoun of inconvenience and perhaps auffi-riiH by stopping unsuitable persons frou going to the West Coast. They wotiK assuredly find thcum-lrca worse of! iheio than in C.inteiliuiy. Tin r< is very little demand for genera labour on the West Co.i3t goklti.la? and to get employment iu the mine: a man must, understand, the work Of farming there is very littli and the market for tint clans of laboui is fully supplied. A labouring mat going to the V/eat Coast without a gooc piactical knowledge of mining or rail way work would find hiimielf iu a verj awkward position unl-.'&n he hud mouij iu his pocket to t.ike him somewher. eliiO. As for (,'ulj <litfgiuj£ itl the 01l souse of the word, the trade is prettj nearly extiuct. Mining, to bn successful must be nuderßtood, and mast be backed up by ca."h or credit. And then a; to the influx of navvies of wliicl: tho Grtij Jlh-er Anjn < pppaks. Tlien ure crowds of the old railway men now on the mines, and many of tlieru arc doing little or nothing — certainly not making what are regarded :i3 good wane; ou the West Coast. A considerable proportion of them will be drafted oil to the railway contracts, so that tin number of men required from outside will nut after all be so great a.) might have been expected. We shouM <:< i■tainly advise any who may be thinking of going to the West Uoact on tin. 1 chance of obtniuing work on the Midland Railway, to iiip.k'i further ci|i[iiiry before Inking n Btej> which might not improbably prove to have Ipcjii ill judged. There is just a word to add with regard to tlm Wes.l (Joaut wngui They Bt ill rule high compared with wha( in being paid iu almost every other part of the colony. IJuL there are counter bal.itiC!Dg disadvantages, and wi. 1 '[lies' tion much whether nt the end of thi: year the West Coast labourer i:i any better off in pocket than !iis fellow worker iu Hoiilh Cnutcrbury.