THE MIDLAND TUNNEL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13151, 25 June 1908, Page 7

THE MIDLAND TUNNEL.

f- . • ; : ' ... THE UNION'S ULTIMATUM.-.

(SPECIAL 10 "THB PRIMS.") OTIRA, Juno 24. Tho general state of ferment and discontent that has existed for sometime past- the workero engaged on the Midland tunnel contract is apparently reaching a otinaaix at last. ■Some Little time ago Messrs T. Maik>y nnd H. Kennedy, president and secretary respectively of the In&ngahua Miners , Union, paid a visit to Ocira, and sueceedied in esta&Hshing a branch of the Union hero with a fair roll number. 1 understand that, in addition to the ordinary privileges arising from being 'a nioidbor" of such a body, the Inangahutt (or, properly KpeaKuig, the Reeiton) Minora , Union lus a benefit fund oat of which £1 a w««ek is paid to any financial member who moots with an accident. This latter feature was roKponsLblo, the writer has boon inifonned, for indite- ' ing a goodly number of work ore in and around the Gorgo to become members of* tho organisation. Since the inception of t!he Union there have been uuuiy ru mourn afloat as tx> tihe exact turn events would take, and a scale of wages was drafted some timo ago, and submitted to tlio contractors for their consideration. On Sunday afternoon, last- Mr Murdoch McLean mvrtod bis employees to moot him and disousa labour conditions, rates of pay, and other matters of interest- to both nartries. . A number of men attended, ..but were principally employees who were not members of the tin km. Mr McLean, in . addressing tho men, gave a pointblank denial to the statwmen* <jha£ he had been engaging .men elsewhere and paying one-half "thoir fares to Otira, 'Any men," said Mr McLean, "who desire to work on our contract in the Otira Gorge or Boaley Flat, must*, come here absolutely on their own ao- ' count and without assistance from John McLean and Son." . Continuing. he stated that he had not discharged , or caused to bo diJHoha'nged any men because such, were members of any labour union. The imen disohajged had been working in the tunnel oa the Holt's Creek pipe route when the drive (Hie dimensions of wihioh were GPt x 4ft) was costing £1 per foot in moderate country. As thas price was altogether beyond reason, tiho sexfoces o€ the men -were dispensed wdoh, bujfc <tihey were shortly after offered t&o tunnel on oonfcra'ofc at 35s per foot. This they refused, and loft tiho works. Tho drive tinder notioe - was siibsequonbly ' let at tihe foregoing figure, and the men who took the contract mere now averaging 14s per day after paying: for explosives. Mr McLean referred to, the statement made *by the secretary of the Inangahna Union io tho effect that the.cost of living was foagjber in Otira than in Reefton and other places. The heerotary .had etafced the* ■ men could bachelorise in Reefton; for 8s per week. Mr McLean ridiculed this statement, and said that he bad had 30 odd years' experience in works of various kinds all over the Donniroe&n, and ho therofbro knew ac wel as any man <the cost of living. In the fotir• centres he earid a man 'could - not live and feed himscflf decently on* lees tfoam. from 10s to 12s - per week, and if that was the cost of Living in the cities it surely conM not' be less ill Ileefton. In Otira -a men can live very well indeed on 13b R«r . week, and Otira was the same doabaoco from Greymouth as Reefton. Beef in' , tttira was. 5d per Jb all round—c. prioo ■ that comparedTery f avourahßy with any,, part oT tie Dominion. In. other places ' men had to pay rent, white _on' the works at Otiira and the Bceley Fhub comiortablo wooden huts were ptwraded and thai more than compeosiutod for *. the slight increase in the'cost of liting there as compared with. ihe> catiee,where the price of the necessaries of ' life was fee tihan m Reefton. Tho oon- '. traotoro were at present paying folly' ( 10 per cent, more wages to their men than was stipulated in tho Reafitan miners''■•'award of the Arbitration Court; so that the statement pnHiab-: ed tibronfih the length and biiadUL of -. the Dominion to the* effect that men * - wore working in Otira on tte tunnel * contract for lees wages than obtained in the district was abaofotety natae:. In their many years of wherever it t migbt hare w&< speaker continued, John .hinTmsm. md,, Son had as a rule increased, tie nic of wages, and never leaaaned tbgza; -. and having bdd fast to tics principle in Otira, they were at a. loss to traderstand the fcxtmv*owxt d**nmnd« of themen. The average adroanoe ift-wagee* asked for was 30 per cent,, wfaicfc, onthe number of men nqmnd,- aad,ti» cßtinvated time for the onmptnfaoo of the work, meant an incrwn in prioo of labour lor the mrla W w> , W a mm than £160,000. Tbub vu ~ bovond consideration. Iα oowliMJnn, - Mr McLoan said the* th* rate of wafln of man engaged by the Government in bhe Otira Gorge wms 10b per day. and he failed to see why b» firm aboold'lie.. made an exception of in the vsy ©f demands for an incroaob. He .(Mr- , McLean) had recmested a moating with his men to disooes enery phase of^tbe , situation, bat tfae pMuuuent members aiid others betonginjr to the Union ~bad thouglit fit to absent tbemßehve. JIo bad expeoted at the leaet to hum bean given the respect of their attendance to listen to ha* firm's side o< the qnwtion. to generally diecnee the diSenaxt matters of contention, and to hear their grievances if tJwv «ad any. ' The' , men, jindging by thenr action ,tS«at afternoon, endently wero not prepared bo have » conference and disooss thinge in connection wk-h the works in >an amicable spirit. "Bat," oontinaed Mr' McLean, "I imdorstend they sent the secretary of the Roofton Manera* Union and two men employed on Government works, who, apart from their interest in their Union, have no interest whatever in the Arthurs Paas tunnel or its successful completion." It looted to him as if the Union was going to tabe the contractors by tho throat and force from them something they (the Union)' was not entitled to. The Union's ultimatum demands r from the contractors a statement ac to what they (tfco contractors) intend doing by Jane 29th next (Monday), and failing a' satisfactory reply this men. will cease work. There hare been no new dterekupmonts since Sunday, and work is proceeding as formerly. It is MrMcLean'e intention to. bavo another conference with hie employees on Sunday afternoon next.