ARTHUR'S PASS TUNNEL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 274, 12 August 1908, Page 7

ARTHUR'S PASS TUNNEL.

LAPQUR CONDITIONS. EXCITING INCIDENTS. (DT TELEGSAPH.—SPECJAf, COlU'.rSl'O^'npxT,) Chrlstchurch, August 11. and rumours of strilips among the mpn p'mployeil on jibe Artjnir's Pass tunnel prlqngs at 'pfira ancjl Boaloy 'liavo qppxjnipd a considerable - amount of public attonpion during tho past few mojithsV mid a reporter was accordingly dispatolicjl to'Otira to ascertain tho real position of affairs. Hp reports that the causes of dissatisfaction ap-. cording to the workors arbi (1) T]io unsatisfactory hut accommodation, ■ ■ (2) Insufficiency of wages. (3) Tho tyrannical conduct of certain officials. V (4) Tlip "inseourity of tcniiro" of an omployeo in his position owing tq the prevalence pf wl|olosa)p '"sacking." 1 (5) Bad 'ventilation of tljo tuqnol. Tho first was duo' to tho hiits having to bo constructed of ivot tiinlior, which shrank jn drying, and allowed altogether too' niuph yontilation. Tho contractors have, however, put on a carpentor to remedy the tjefect. ' ' " ! ' T'lio ajjeged insufficiency qf wages is not emphasised by tho men to any degree,'' very few being dissatisfiod on that scoi'o. Tlie fifth,cause of complaint, the ventilation of tho tunnel, is "to bo "taken in hand at once. " ' ■ There remain then two points of dissatisfaction. Tho conduct of' so'mo of the officials <rad tho insecurity [of tenure,'and on tjicso tho "Press" 'investigator reinarlis'that with regard to some of ' tlio officials, tliq noncommissioned iripn', so 'to speak, "there is' tho bitterest feeling. In fact; there is an "unsafo" . feeling! . Instaiices of reprisals aro not unknown at either Otira or tlio Bealey. An unpopular "boss" was recently beaten withjn art inch of his life'at Otira by tw'p men.' At tlio Bpaloy a ."boss," who hail mado himself obnoxious, was hounded out of his liut in tho' early hours of the' iporrijng by infuriated underlings, and' pursued until he took 'reftifio' in the bush. Threats iiro mado to "wait'for" tlip "liigger-di'ivprs," and there are already records'qf sa'pguinary fights'in which tl)0 contestants abandoned their natural means of cjefenqo and offenco and kicked, scratched, !»nd even bit one anotlipr until pulled apart by tljpir mates. For some considerable time there was' great friction witli the shift bosses, but at present relations appear to be fairly amicable. There is,'however, a very'strong feeling against one of tlio tunuer officers, but it is' extremely clilßcult to' determine how far tbe oxjstcnco of 'this antagonism is' justified. Tho mqii qomplaiii' that they are sworn at and abpsed in an intolerable fashion, wliile on t)ie"otlier hand it is "claimed that tljprc is" nothing really objectiqijablo—tjiat, ii>' fact,' tho languago used is in the "tuiii|fil' vernacultir." The reporter got' a sample wfjjcfi was' certainly' unprintable. As to tho complaint about insecurity of tenure on accouiit of the existence of \yliolesale sacking, it is unquestionable that an extraordinarily largo number of men have "gone through" the works at Otira. It is alloged that good men are ordered qff at a hiinuto's notice at the mere caprice or fancy of the person in charge A man may havo been working for only a day or two, and may lidvo'"purchased storos and' clothes iii anticipation of remaining in steady employment at Otira. His anticipations aro "nipped in t|ie bud," and ho departs from Otira a pqoror man, or elso leaves tho storekeeper unpaid. Tho latter alternative is not infrequently adopted: Tho justico pf tho complaint is questioned by tho otlior side, but thoro' is undoubtedly a very strong feeling about this matter. It should be stated that tho men generally show a very sincere regard for tho contractors personally, and their engineers, and express a belief that if tlioso fontlomed wero fully aware of tho presence of this particular evil a remedy would bo found. 'As far as tho reporter could learn, no formal complaint had been nlado to tlio contractors.' The investigations did not load to tho conclusion that a striko was imminont. Conditions have', if anything, dceidodly improved' on what they were a few weeks ago. f A strike might be precipitated' by tho want of tact displayed by a single individual in authority rather than by any of tho labour 'conditions in' regard to wages and accommodation.