RAILWAY WORKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 435, 18 February 1909, Page 5

RAILWAY WORKS.

THE TROUBLE AT DOMETT. - MR. BLOW HOLDS AN INQUIRY. COMPLAINTS ( DISCUSSED. = (Die < TKliEaßAi'U—raitss association.) , ■ Chrlßtchurch, February 17. ' Discontent is rampant among the co-opera-tive Workers who aro employed on tho railway / ; ! extension- works at.Domett;-)* The,trouble .lias been simmering on tho works for some littlo time, and it culminated in a* demand lor an inquiry * into what r were alleged .to .bo objee-, tionablo conditions' of employment. There , i are' at present ; about ■ eighty' ;mon. employed : on tlio'formation works, which extend from; 1 the' presentterminus for. a distance . north-. , ; ■ wards of about two and a half miles. . Tho complaints may bo enumerated ■ generally, as follow:— (1) Irregularity on tho part of the De- ■'; : partment in tho: monthly payment of wages: " (2) The action of tho Department in suspending work for ten days at Christmas and Now Year. 1 ! , (8) Tho inadequate provision of sanitary conveniences. . - • . (4) The inadequato living accommodation provided, and theabsenco of reasonable supplies of firewood aftd coal. v (5) Tho unfair'system of. estimating the : '!;■> amount to bo paid for the work, done. - The Minister for Public/Works acceded to ■ ; the petition forwarded 'by tho men asking for an inquiry'into the conditions of tho employment,and yesterday: Mr. H. J. H. Blow,; Under-Secretary for' the Department, proceeded'to Domett for thopurposo of holding vi the inquiry. Ho was joined there by Mr.' H. ■ :Viekerman, engineer in charge of tho construction works, and Mr. G. A. M. Lough, local engineer; ■ ■

An inspection. During the afternoon an inspection was made of -the formation, and a good idea ' could-be formed of the nature, of* the material, on which, the men had to work. /Oie ■ surface soil and clay, appeared to bo easily • enough removable,'hut when some doptli was reached in tho bigger cuttings tight shingle "V: and sandstone were encountered. The cooperative'labourers themselves were I There-were some "gangs which contained ol£ . viously .inefficient members—men Vi'liO could r not possibly earn a competent navvy's wages 1 . if put on contract work.. •On .the other hand, there were . gangs which worked in tho solidly, businoss-liko fashion which indicated . the competent, willing, and able-bodied labourer., . Thero. was . quite an appreciable percontage of very elderly men in some of; the gangs. Some of the men had venerably whito hirsuto adornments. ■>•■■■■ The word was passed round tho works that . the inquiry v/ouldbo opened at 7.30 on Tuesday night. , v ~ Mr.- Blow was. informed that nearly all the men wished to be present;, and at his sugges-. : tion Mr. G. W. Forbes, M.P. for Hnrunui, / arranged for the use of the schoolroom; for the occasion, i - . ■" A meeting was held on the tussock-ear-poted roadside by the men. All nationalities . seemed to be represented, and the pronounced dialect of the. now-immigrants waß occasion- -- ally in. evidence. Here and there flaring red -tiea intimated, that militant Socialism had its, emissaries in tho camp. The time was spent in a discursive discussion on their grievances • and the mode of procedure, and ( it'was unanimously resolved to ask Mr. Forbos; to -, state - , their . complaints. . They wero very . ansious, that the inquiry, should be open to the press, but, their wishes in, this respect woi'o not acceded to. ■ - . 1-. : : "y A Full Meeting. . .'Punctually at 7.30 p.m. Mr. Blow: and tho two at the schoolhouse, and ■ were met by full meeting of tho men. , . —Mr..Blow opened' proceedingsjby. suggeet- ' ing that strangers ahd reporters' should withdraw. Ho thought that matters oould be more profitably discussed botwwm the Departi-: meht! and- view was.;at . onco dissented'from, one of the men explaining that as wide publicity as possible was de~ sired. "Mr. Blow then delivered this ultimatum:— , 'k : * : '!If the reporters remain I : .must. retire," and. in tho face of that tho press representatives v. ithdrow. -V Particulars of--the conferenoe were not, however; at all difficult to. obtain; It. was' " explained to the men that the-first supposed delay in tho payment of wages was duo to the' fact that men' were constantly .arriving . on'.tlioMvorks. after. October 6, -anditwaß thought, that. it 'would' bo quite a' fair thing to pay on ths dato which was:seleoted. : The . delay was due to the holiday season interveniitg. ' These : special : circumstances : having been removed, , there should bo, no irregularity in future.' ', In regard to the 'holidays it was stated ■ that the ongmODr had made a mistake when ho ruled that ten ; days' holiday was compulv sory. If the men had telegraphed to Welliiigton thoy would have been informed that' 1 they could work if they'ohose to do so. ' ■ TW Department _was > agreeable to provide all sanitary, conveniences necessary to: secure. ;. decency, and also to '. furnish- firewood' and , v .coal at cost price. y

In regard to the request .for. timber for the ; floors, or .tents, .the married men were in- ■ formed-that this would bo doho where there were women or .children in. tho tents. They were warned.. not to burn tho. timber.• so provided. * ■ Rates of Pay. v; ' The. system of'payment was discussed, but on this point the Department-'was obdurate. Tho Minister had- previously informed tho men; specifically} tliat the'rates would not be raised, 1 and that'thoycompared well with the .. rates paid in other>' parts of the . Dominion, Mr. Blowy howover, -undertook to visit several " of ' the cuttings and' seo the sort of, material wliieh was being lifted. ' The .dismissal of H: Campbell; one of the . workmen ' who had taken ■ an active part in: the labour was referred to, but Mr. .. Blow'absolutely refused to-discuss tho causes which, led to it.-v-If Mr.v Campbell had - been g resent at.-:the Mquiry,Vt the. - could. _ "ye been.discussed. ..There.was' adisposition •; ? n f)} e thy men to drag- the: subject ¥}. heels," but Mr. Blow checked : 'his: by ( -mforming those .who: "wanted l inforluation. . ' that :they could ."keep : on-wanting ; , The inquiry was oil tho whole carried on in -..; an amicable fashion by both sides. The men ; were.; fairly well satisfied with the promises given ; that- improvements ..would be'effected. . >..; lhoy held, another 1 roadside'meeting, at the conclusion of tho inquiry, and cheers were given for Mr. Forbes.