GREAT NORTH ROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 50, 1 March 1893, Page 2

GREAT NORTH ROAD.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —A great deal has been written and said about the action of the men employed on the Great North Road works under contract to the Newton Borough Council. The facts of tho case plainly are these : A deputation of the men employed, after the contractor had surrended his contract, waited upon Mr Brown, Mayor of Nowton, to ask his consent for payment of wages due. He then said that there was £71 coming to the contractor, but that as other claims had to be paid out of this amount there would bo le.-ss than 15s in the £, and advised the men to see Mr Cotter. Upon finding out that Mr Cotter was the Council's solicitor the men decided in preterenco to see Mr Cooper who aaid that tho men had a good case under the now " Workman's Lien Act" for recovery of wa^es from the contractor. A summons for amount was then issued and judgmeut obtained against Mr Bennett for £93. At the special meeting of the Newton Borough Council on Friday night to consider the new tenders the Mayor eaid thot there waa £65 over and above Bennett's contract, but nothing of this would go to the men, who had no hold upon the contractor or the Council. And under the Act the men cannot claim one penny from Mr Bennett, or tho Council. Surely some alteration in the law to remedy this state of affairs should bo ma'ie, for what is to hinder the new contractor from Qflirig the same thing.—We are, etc. Jas. Ai.'.en, Thomav Ciurk.