VISIT TO ORARI GORGE STATION.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13008, 9 January 1908, Page 8

VISIT TO ORARI GORGE STATION.

♦ PRACTICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE CONCILIATION BOARD. _

On Tuesday afternoon the Conciliation Board accepted an invitation to visit Mr Tripp's Orari Gorge station of 60,000 acres, the members of the Board driving up from Geraldine, together with the representatives of the employers and labourers who are engaged in tho case now being heard. Tho party drove to the station in a four-m-hand coach, and they displayed some courage in facing the drive under such weather conditions as prevailed when they set out, for a strong nor'wester added to th© discomfort; of the almost intolerable heat which prevailed, the day being by far the hottest experienced so far this summer in the district. On arrival at tho fine homestead the visitors were met and hospitably entertained at afternoon tea by Mrs and Miss Tripp and other members of the household, and after this they mad© an inspection of the premises in which the men who work on the station live. The conditions were found to be ©verything that could be desired,-mid members of the Board, as well as Messrs Thorn and Kennedy, representing the Labourers' Union, expressed themselves in unqualified term 3 of praise of all that they saw, both as regards tho sleeping accommodation and tho food. It was seen that the men have a roomy, substantially-built house with a verandah round two sides, in which to live, the verandah having wire netting running round it to prevent dogs from getting on to it. Tho dwelling contains tho requisite number of bedrooms for the men, so that there is no overcrowding and no double bunks, nor any bunks built on the tier system, and besides these rooms there is a spacious dining-room, a kitchen and pantry, a reading-room with a variety of reading matter on the table, and a bathroom and lavatory. From end to end the dwelling was found to be spotlessly clean, a fact which members of the Board interpreted as an indication that tho men appreciated and took a pride in the comfortahlo quarters provided for them by a considerate boss (Mr Bernard Tripp has been manager of. the station for the past 1G years, and he still holds that position). # After tho men's quarters, the smithy was visited, and from here Mr Tripp led the way to the shearing-shed. Hero again in the dining-room and kitchen everything was found to be . as clean as the most particular person could desire, while the food, of which the visitors (including Miffl Tripp) tasted, was pTonounml to be such as to require no apology if put on the best table in the Dominion, the menu including meat, breajl, cake, butter, .pastry (some Chester eako sampled was found particularly %©ood), and vegetables in season. The shearers, it appeared from a notice on tho wall of the dining-room at the shearing shed, have seven opportunities for refreshment during the day, tho notice referred to reading as follows :— Tea and cake, 5 a.m.; breakfast, 7 a.m.; dinner,.l2 ; evening meal, 5.40; smoko, 9.45 a.m., 2.20 p.m., and 4 p.m. (tea and cake is supplied at each of these spells)." While the visitors were engaged making a close inspection here, there, and everywhere, a "Press" reporter who. formed one of the party made somo enquiries quietly among some of the men employed on the station, whjpn some facts were elicited which will bear repetition. . First; it was : ascertained that of all the hands engaged on the station-not one is a member of the union, and the. reason for this was probably, found in a very decisive statement which was made to th© reporter by one of the men, who declared that in Mr Tripp,they had "the champion boss of the world," and after a pause this employee added—"ln fact, ' Mr Tripp is too good, ho can't do enough for iis, but in return we try to do all. we can.for him, as amy man would for so good a boss." Referring to holidays, it-was said that if a man wanted .. a day or two -days or even a fortnight off, Mr Tripp would give it to him, and allow. his wages to go on without deduction. Another fact which the reporter gleaned in his con-, versation among tho' men . was that Mr Tripp has two men in his, employ who have been with him for twenty-sis years, and one who has been on the station for forty years, and-to this long serviced trio he recently presented a silver watch each, in recognition of their long and faithful services: These men are Harry Ford, musterer; Robert McNalley, gardener,. and John Bennett, packman. Besides- these there'ar© several men who have been on the station for. seventeen and eighteen years. Another fact worthy of note is that the employees axe not left .to stagnate intellectually, for tliey had an abundance of varied reading matter. The general permanent hands on the station number twenty to twenty-four; at mustering timo the number is increased : to. thirty-five, and at shearing time to seventy-five. There axe five cottages on different parte of the station, and members of the Board noted with pleasure tho comfortable conditions under which the married couples who occupied these lived. . '. ' The official part of the visit having concluded* the visitors wore courteously conducted by Mr and Mife Tripp round the picturesque and very beautiful gardens . which surround tho homestead, free access being given to the luscious fruits which were ripe in the garden, and before leaving they were again invited into tho. house, where refreshments were again served. Her© one or two toasts were honoured. Mr Minson, as chairman of the Board, very thanked Mrs Tripp, Miss, and Mr Tripp for their "open-handed hospitality, and 6aid that while the visit had been, both pleasant and enjoyable, lie was sure that it would also prove profitable in a very practical way to members of the. Board. (HeaT, hear.) He did not desire to make invidious comparisons, but be would say that when the Board visited Mr Grigg's Longbeach Estate, they had been very gratified at.finding the men so well provided for, and tho complimentary remarks he had mad© on that occasion he wished to emphasise now in respect of the Orari Gorge Station. The lesson they had learned was calculated to help the Board considerably. They had seen that country life was. healthy; that it could be made bright and pleasant, and it had afforded him great pleasure to see the spirit of contentment and goodwill as between master and. employee which prevailed at Orari Gorge Station. (Hear, hear.** They saw in.it a proof of the assertion that a good master' made a good man, and that good meja were sure to find considerate'masters. Mr Minson said that the difference .which existed at the present time between certain sections of the .community was to ■ be regretted, and in conclusion he expressed the" hope that the Conciliation Board would bo the means of bringing about a satisfactory settlement of the farm labourers' dispute. With these remarks.be proposed tbo toast of "Pastoral Interests," coupled with tho nam© of Mr Tripp. The toast was drunk very heartily, and with 'musical honours. Mr Thorn, speaking to the. toast, said that everything: he had seen at Mr Tripp's station had given him very . great pleasure. He felt delighted to find the men sowell provided for, and he felt like saying to every farm and station-holder in the Dominion: Go thou and do likewise. The provision made for the men by Mr'Tripp left

nothing to be desired, land from the bottom of his heart he wished such an employer the very best prosperity that could possibly attend him. (Applause.) Mr Jon<>B, on behalf of the employers, also added a glowing tribute to Mr Tripp's methods. He cordially thanked Mr Tripp for having invited them thero, and mentioned incidentally that in tbe past farmers had had a hard row to hoe, bat fiow that they could afford it, they were giving their cmploj-cea tho benefit of improved conditions. Mr Tripp made a characteristically modest reply, deprecating the flattering things said of him, and saying that he was orjly carrying on "the methods. ander which his late father had taught him to work. His father had always said: "Treat a man well, and he will treat you well," and he had' found this to be sound advice. (Hear, hear.) Times were better now than they used to be; they could afford to make things better for the men, and they liked to do it. That, he thought, was the attitude assumed by most of the employers in the Dominion to-day. He had' always found that when there vraa work to bo done the men were willing to do it, even though it meant working long hours for a time, and during the sixteen years ho had been manager at Orari Gorge, bo had -never heard a grumble from any one of the men. (Applause.) Mr Minson thanked the ladies for their hospitality, and the party then returned, via Woodbury and Pleasant. Valley road', to Geraldino» which was reached shortly before 7 o'clock.