DREDGEMAN’S WAGES.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 368, 28 May 1903, Page 5

DREDGEMAN’S WAGES.

TO THE EDITOR. Dear Sib, —Being a constant reader of your valued paper T have taken a great deal of interest in the letters coming forward re dredgemen’s wages. For the life of me I cannot understand how two men signing themselves as “ Breadwinner” and “ True Blue ” can put forward arguments like they use. Perhaps True Blue ” gets a fit of the blues, seeing men making their wives comfortable in decent houses and giving them that comfort that every woman deserves, especially to go way back in an out-of-the-way place like Alexandra. As for “ Breadwinner I should be ashamed of signing myself as a “ Breadwinner,” when it means taking the loaf out of my brother’s mouth with a reduction of wages. Such men as "True Blue” and “ Breadwinner” want sending to China where they could have fourteen or fifteen Chinamen to write letters to the press for them for nothing. Sir, it is a good thing for dredging men that they have a union, and that they hold together. Whoever “ Breadwinner ” and “True Blue” are, I would like to put the both of them on Tristan d’Acunha, or some other outlandish island, where they could both fight it out between them as to what wages they would relegate to their future maiden aunts

I note that " True Blue " states in one of his letters, " They can prance about on their bikes and live in grand houses, like lords of the land, while other men who have to work harder get 2s a day less." Well, all I want to say is, why can't they prance about on their bikes and keep grand houses ? What's that got to do with "True Blue"? Is he the Lord of Creation that any dredgeman down in Alex- ! andra has got to ask him what he is to have for tea, or how many ducks he, can keep ? Perhaps it would be a good line for our friend " True Blue" to get a brief for a Dunedin architect and sell his plans to the dredgemen, and perhaps make a little more money and assist his poor friend "Breadwinner." He goes on to say that " there are p'enty of men idle in the country." Yes, poor beggars, through no fault of their own the majority of them were " born tired," and are only too eager to get a chance of cutting their brother workmen's throats by ekeing out an existence on a few bob a day. Sir, what I advocate is that men who are willing to come forward and write letters in the press advocating a reduction in the wages of a worthy class of men, is that they should come under " The tTndesirable Immigration Act," and should be transported to some country like India or China where the rate of wages would suit them to a tee, and where they could work about fourteen or fifteen hours for a few pence and a tin of rice. It would, I think, suit them to the ground, Or perhaps it would suit them better to go round with a theatrical company and show themselves off, with cards naming them as "Breadwinner" and " True Blue," and T am sure that they would do well; and evtn our mutual friends " Evergr* en " and J. BT. Davidson would spend a bob to see them without growling. I will finish with

our poor friend " Breadwinner" He states that " there is a day of reckoning to come," and I hope there is, but that the reckoning will be in counting out higher wages for the men and cutting down our friends' " Breadwinner " and " True Blue " as they appear to havt too much. If they have they should send it to the Transvaal to assist in the importation of coloured labour into Colony, when their dream of lowering men's wages wculd be realised. Hoping that I have not trespassed too much on your valued space, and thanking you in anticipation.—l am, <fcc., Let 'em all Come. Wellington, May 21st.