The Belief Works at Woodhill.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 202, 28 August 1886, Page 2

The Belief Works at Woodhill.

What They Aro and Who Aro on Them,

"Did'nt 1 tell you co?" was tho taunting comment of a friend on reading that some of the mon, out of puro laziness of course, had left tho reliof works at Woodhill. It looked bad. A bonoficent Govornment was

straining evory norvo to remedy ono of the eaddost ovils which can bo brought upon a country—a want of work for those bound to havo it undor penalty of degradation; or of starvation for themselves and those dependent upon them. T_ou came somo striking letters from Woodhill sull'oi-ors, to your paper. Thoy described a condition of things, which, if true, amply accounted for all but tho most robust leaving that delightful harbour of refuge. On reading the last of theso letters in Thursday's Star I determined to tec for myself unit lolt by tho Northern train yesterday morning. The day was threatening, but happily passed off with only two or threo of tho furious southerly squalls which havo marked the week.Botwoen the squalls tho sun shone bright, though the 'air was frostily cold. Theroforo I caw the relief works at a great advantage in comparison with the sight they mußt havo presented on any of the previous days. What I saw was this. About 80 men and lads of all ages, all descriptions and all degrees of strength. Some grey and worn, others yet in tiieir teens. Half wero working over tho knoos in a stream of bitterly cold water running at tho rate of four or five knots an hour. The other half are wheeling barrow loads of tough wot clay along planks laid upon a ridge of mud in which iho foot sank ankle deop at overy step. Among tho whole I saw not one clad in navvy boots or navvy dress. Floundering along, I cbeorved as much ns the mud and wet would permit. The men seomed to regard mo with a queer curiosity as if wondering what could attract an outsider tothischarmingspot. Kecrossing tho_mud and tho raft on tho Kaipara river, I fell in with others who had left work and asked them for any information they could give. They showed me ovor the sleeping houses .-six long, narrow wooden buildings roughly roofed with zinc. Each has twenty bunks, and in these bunks were lying men dono up and in some cases more tit for hospital than for renewed work. But they wero all full of spirit and determined to go on, at all events as soon as that "cursed" canal work was ended. Tho housts aro full of chinks and cracks, too full for any but mon woll provided with blankets, but with Euch protoction they were not to bo complained of under the circumstances Thoro are also two stores, and another long narrow houso with an enormous wooden chimney in the old colonial style. Here men are provided with meals at fifteen shillings per week. I was told that about forty used tho "cook" shop. The remainder of the men (there are 140 in all on tho works) havo put up, or are putting up,small raupo huts in which they do their own cooking^ and in which somo of them aleo sloop. Living in this way they feed themselves at from Ss to 10s per week, and are enabled to send the moro to the wives and children thoy hrft in Auckland. But there's tho rub ! Their pay is 5s per day of eight hours—four hours in tho running stream and four more in the wet, tenacious clay. Storn gangors and timekeepers havo a vigilant eyo upon them, and a proportionate reduction is made for every hour they are not at work. It must havo required a robust and dolermintd man to make threo duys' pay por week iv such weather as «o havo had. This gives fifteen shillings. Deduct tho cost of a week's living and lot those who havo comfortable homes in Auckland say how far the balance would go in keeping the families many of theso men loft behind them.

So much much for the mon. Now for the departmental officers who have to look aftor them. If I judged aright, therechief feeling is a professional one. They complain that many of the men aro unsuitcd to tho work. This is quite likely, but I would emphatically reply that tho work-called a relief work-is equally unsuitcd to tho men. Tho department probably fears that when the total cost of tho work is summed up at headquarters, it will be found higher rhan if done by regular trained navvies even at a higher rato of wages. All of which is quite likely and only to bo met by some ono in authority—a Minister for instance, if we had ono for a week or two in Auckland — reminding tbo department that those aro "relief" works to meet a temporary exigency, and not an ordinary business contract. In tho absonco of some one with such authority, I sighed for the power of making ono immediate alteration. This would have boon to incrcaso the rato of pay to at least Is per hour for thoso working in the running stream. Tho work must bo infinitely moro trying than any similar work in swamps or dead water. In tho absence of such power it was a consolation to loam that this particular " wot" work would be finished by Monday. I hope it will be. If not, I havo no hesitation in saying that it is cruolly unjust to pay men a rate of wages that compels thorn to this work for the full eighthours, or to bandy earn thoir food.

Tho work itself ii easily described. At Woodhill tho Kaipata stream makes a wide and tortuous bond. The railway follows the bond and numorous sharp curves result. A cuttint., equal to a small canal, about fifteen foot broad and threo hundrod feot long, is boing made to onablo the railway to run straight, and to do away with the curves. To make the cutting, n straight deep ditch about live feet broad and six feet deop, with shallowor side platforms five feot broad was first dug. Tho river was then let in, and runs through the ditch and canal with groat forco. The platforms are to bo cut to greator depth, and the men, standing in tho water, throw tho spoil into tho ditch through which it is carried by the strong current, into the river. Tho object is to save removing tho stuff by hand. A great economy is the result, but as the saving is effected at tho cost of illness and suffering to the men, it seems but the commonest jusstiee that the rate of pay should be increased while on this particular work. I go further, and hold that it would be also just that tho pay for all other work should bo increased when they become more skilful, which many of them, working willingly as they are, will soon be. Thowork is really onoof i ougb, but necessary, railway makintr. It would have been bettor done in summer, but is pushed on in winter to meet the emergency. The "relief" consists only in this and in taking on men who aro not trained, or, from the " contractors' " point of view, suitable. It would be c great incentive to exertion if they felt that with increasing skill they would receive a proportionate increase of pay.

One or two other points wero referred to by tho men. They may como in by railway free of chargo onco a mor.tb. Some of them would feel it a boon if they could como in oftener to sco their families. Why should this not bo granted ? Others spoke of a difficulty in sending money to Auckland from Woodhill, but they wore evidontly not aware—as I havo sinco learned —that tho Department will pay any portion of their money to their own order.

I I left Woodhill with mixed feelings. It was painful to reflect that sc many men thou Id be compolled by a depression which nono of them had tho loast share in creating, to take this so called " roliof" work in tho Woodhill swamp. It was admirable to sco mon—tho moro bravely when most unfitted for tho work— struggling to maintain their own independence or to provide for those dependent upon them. But I shall dreaui of that cold Woodhill canal for somo time. If ib bo not linishod by Monday and the men put to bettor work or given much bottor pay, it will bo for you, sir, and for tho Pross of Auckland goneraliy.to see that their hardship be not prolonged. I am prepared to find many of my friends denounco such sentimentality. I wish thoy could hoar our most " practical " mon and some of our present Ministers dilating in tho Legislature on tho hardships suffered by tho poor South Soa Island labourers at the hands of the planters of Fiji. I, who have seen thousands of-these labourers at work, could then assure them with the greatest confidence and solemnity, that no planter, however greedy would subject these savages to such work in such weather as that to which we havo subjected our own un-oasoned fellow countrymen in the roliof works at Woodtn'l. jyj. Moss.