THE CASUAL LABOURER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 16, 14 October 1907, Page 4

THE CASUAL LABOURER.

A BAD WINTER;-; v ';

':'' . If a man isipaid by tho libur.it would' be a serious thing >to- lose that :much timeipei day. for four,;inonths out of the year. '■■■■' Yet that.has;been approximately-the case ofitKe oasual outside labourers. employed by the : Wellington City, Corporation, and. with such a '. variety of works as .the City Council; has ; to take in hand the : casual;labourer, ;is : a .necessity, just as''he is .on-, the .'Queenjs .wharf, as the work ebbs and.flows, , and it can nevor. bo known- onel ■ day but what a big gang might be needed tho next for some special job; So casuals are paid by the ■hour. .T..y.-:-.i : :.' ■■:■ ,-:■•;■'*'■:■■*■:' ■<•'' -'.-"> : , An interesting return has just been .made up by tho City • Engineer (Mr. W. H. "Mor- ' ton) .giving , a return of the'days'during the , , ;month ended' September 30' on which casual labourers! had to cease work on. account, of jirain; , :■ ■ ■'•; '. . '-. ;"" '■ '.'" ;' y .', During tho 104 Hays included in the period under notico 93J- hours lost through (an average of about fifty'-foui .minutes per day). Of the'four mouths menitioned,-, Juno' was the., worst, with thirty • hours- , off, August' ranked next with 27J hours, then July with : 26i hours; and finally September,' with: only 9$ hours; , - ~ The wet davs were as follow:'—Juno---4th, •Bihrs.; -sth, jhr.; 6th, Jhr,;'l2th, Sfhrs.; 13th,"8$hrs. ;:loth, 4}hrs.; 26th, 4Jbrs. July —3rd, Jhr.;.Bth, Sjhrs.; 9th,;■ B}hrs;; 11th, ihr.; 29th,-r.B}hrs. ,: .: August— Sth, BJhrs.; 14th,i 3Jhrs.; :15th;; i7hrs.*; 20th;- Jhr, ;■ 29th, 21hrs. ;■3oth; ljhrs.; 31st, 4Jhrs. - September. —12th; lhri;. 18th,-. Bihrs. "■'•:.' •'.-'■'. ■'■ • ■•