CO-OPERATIVE RAILWAY WORKS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 139, 13 June 1892, Page 3

CO-OPERATIVE RAILWAY WORKS.

A SATISFACTORY SYSTEM,

The establishment by the Government of bhe co-operative labour principle on railway construction works in various parts of (jhe colony is meeting with unqualified arj. proval from all sides, and the opinion is expressed by many competent- to judge thab this system, one result of the Hon. R. Seddon^ administration as Minister of Public Works, is proving eminently satisfactory, and is a boon to the working man as well as to the Government.

To-day a Star, reporter had a brief interview on this subject with Mr Richard Webster, an Aucklander, who is employed as Government Inspecbo.- nf Works on the new Woodvilla-Eketahunaevtension railway line in the Wellington provincial district. Mr Webster, who is up on a brief visit to Auckland, speaks in very high terms of the manner in which the co-operative labour principle works on this lino, now in course of construction. The line, which will complete a sort of loop between Wellington and Woodville, where ib connects with the Napier railroad, passes through a splendid agricultural country, according to Mr Webster's account, which is destined to become one of theJinest farming districts in New Zealand, "fine length of the line is 28 miles, about 3 miles of which, hear Woodville, are now about completed. The work was commenced in March of this year, on the co-operative principle, which has so far continued with remarkable satisfaction to employees and employers. There have been between 60 and 70 men employed on the work since it was started, and as it will continue for a good many months yeb ib will necessarily afford good employment to a large number of men. Mr Webster explains the working of the co-operative system aB follows:—The engineer in charge of the district allots the work on a new line in suitable sections, according to the nature of the country, to parties of from cix to eight men, who work on the co-operative principle, all being paid alike amongst themselves. The sections for formation vary in length from a few chains to half-a-mile, according bo the class of work necessary — heavy, or ordinary light formation. The engineer in charge of the work prices the construction ab so much per chain for logging and clearing, so much for stone-work, and so much for light formabion, the rates of pay being based on the assumption of &fc A FAIR DAY'S PAY for each man is 8a per diem. A good man can earn from 8s to 10s a day on this system. The men are paid monthly, by the resident engineer, according to the amount of work done, and the six or eight men engaged in each'gang all share alike. The monthly payments are subject to a deduction of five percent., which is kept back till the completion of the contracb—as a sort of safeguard for the railway authorities—and then paid over to the men. As a rule, the men in each gang are of about equal ability for their work, and the inspector has as far as possible apportioned the little companies of labourers so as to bring together those of aboub the same capacity for outdoor labour. Some men cannob of course make such good wages as obhers, but even amongst the few that grumbled at the work, Mr Webster says, bhere were none who earned less than an average 6a 6d per day. In his opinion the system is equally just to both parties, and is the fairest and most reasonable that could be devised.

•'Taken as a whole the men are very well satisfied with tbeir wages," says Mr Webster, "and 1 consider the system the very besb that the Government could adopt. It is a Bplendid chance for the working man and the unemployed—a chance that no previous Government has given them. I consider the Government get the work of railway construction done quite as efficiently and 6ven cheaper than under the old contract system. Under the big contract-letting principle the men were generally ground down .to the very uttermost by the contractor, who of course was bent on getting the maximum of labour for the minimum of cost, and on making as big a profit as he possibly could. Under the cooperative system an ordinary workman can at least earn a shilling an hour, and he is practically his own master. This increases the feeling of independence of the men, and they WORK ALL THE BETTER for it. The engineers ab presenu on my portion of the line are doing their level best to make the system a success, and are working away almost day and night at it. The only trouble is that there is not enough work for those who want it. About 25 unemployed from Wellington were sent up to fche work, the Government giving them free train passages and supplying them with tents, tools, and all necessaries, deducting the amount out of their wages at the end of the month. As showing the all-round firmness of the system, I must • tell you that the section firsb finished near Woodville was nearly all let to Woodville settlers—labouring men—to do, while the next section, afc the Alangataimoko River, near Pahiatua, is to be given to the Pahiatua village settlers. This will be a great assistance to the struggling settlers in those parts. " There is nob the slightest doubb," said Mr Webster, in conclusion, " that the Government are doing an excellent thing in the establishment of these co-operative works, and ib is already proved that the cost per mile is lees than under the contract system."

Work on the co-operative principle ia at present being carried on at the Mokau (King Country), in the North and else- ' where.