The Press. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1901. CO-OPERATIVE WORKS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11102, 22 October 1901, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1901. CO-OPERATIVE WORKS.

Thff interesting account which one of our j reporters has given of a visit winch, he | made to the Midland railway works throws !an interesting light on the system of co- | operative labour provided by tho Govern- ! ment. The plan appears to be worked to ! the very best advantage by the Resident i Engineer, but it is pretty evident, we * think, that it is not likely to replace the I ordinary method of, employing labour, where speed, efficiency, and economy are desired. The hopes of those who thought that an ideal method of settling the rela- _ tions between employee and employer had at length been found are doomed to disappointment. So also are the optimistic views of those who believed that the system would bring about social equality , among the various classes of workers, so that the young and strong would bear th* burdens of the weak and infirm, and the ■highly-efficient workman would consent to share his wages with his less-skilled brother. Human nature assert* itself even among co-operative workers, and the men, by a process of mutual selection and association, are formed into gangs, which differ from each other in point of skill and efficiency, but which are each composed as nearly as possib-e of units capable*©f earning about the Bame amount of wags. The difficulty of - fixing a fair price for the work in these circumstances is obvious. If the engineer adopts a standard which would enable the good workman to' earn a fair wage, the incompetent* would starve. He must, therefore, fix it at a figure sufficiently high to enable the weaker gangs to earn a fair average. This being so, the good workmen, if they liked, could make very high wages; working to the limit Of their capacity, but if they did this the price would be reduced by the engineer, and nobody can blame them if in consideration.? of this fact they adopt the " ca' canny" principle. The net result is then that inferior workmen are paid at a higher j rate than would be given to them by a contractor, while the best workmen earn at ! least the average wages but are able to take it more easily than they would be allowed to do under a contractor. So far as the : workmen are concerned, therefore, the sys- ;' tern has its advantages. It is pretty clear, we think, that the actual cost of the labour j is more than it would be under the contract system, but it may be contended that the Government save the contractor's profits. As against these we have to consider not only the enhanced cost of the labour, but excessive cost of'supervision, under the'cooperative system. For example, we are told I that while one man on a contract has been known to supervise the work of a thousand -men, there are on the 2*pdla'nd railway construction three inspectors, a timekeeper, and a chainman to supervise the work of 314 men. On the Midland railway the co-opera-tive workers are principally engaged ■in nawying, which is perhaps the most suitable work for the systefcu WhenVatr in the Korth Island, co-operative workers are engaged in work requiring-special/skifl-and-like the constraction of results must be less satisfactory. Ia the case of the ParHamentary library the co-operative aystern'completely broke dowtn, and it has been responsible for some very .-unsatisfactory artisans' ..work at other public %u2dings. Taking all the circumstances into consideration we have little doubt that the co-opera-tive system is less expeditious and more expensive than the, contract system for ; the construction, of public* works. Wa admit that it' has its advantages'for relief works. At the end of -last'month there, were'«*> fewer than artisans and other workmen-em-ployed on co-operative works in New Zealand. It would be interesting to know how many of these are relief cases and how many are first-class workmen diverted for the-time being from private employment. -It would be of great interest and value not only to New Zealand, but to student* of, social, and political questions throughout the world if a really competent and impartial Commission were appointed'to investigate the cooperative systStti thoroughly and report both as to its social and economic,value.