LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 14

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

:. HOTEL EMPLOYEES' WAGES. ... Sir,—l''notice in Sir. Palmer's letter of February; 24 that/he; ; appears : to ;thih2 that:2ss. 'per., week issufficient:,wages-for 'a< married; hotel jempioyee, or/roustabout, lias"he:so;idn'd]y;:pnts"it., Hβ*also:states that .the' living wage business- cannot, entefl.intpi the .question, of..,this^case. : , ,I'' shoUd;'liie' ! 'to' : catl attention .to a few -facts—being ; 'a .married hotel;,worker myself, .1 Jean. speak from experience./ We; will' go ; 'a step higher .than the.rbuseabout,- ; and take,- for iri;stance,'; a Mnight /porter, /who . can hardly .'ba-given .that;title, i ;fieeing:-that he.!holds a'.:'...responsible .position,"; having,'full care '0f, , -the'-;hotel;for;'a good many hours, for ;which he gets/thV magnificent salary of 27e. per week, board and lodging. A married man with a vhbme' naturally prefers to.(deepjiat-.home.vrather'.tthan- on' the premises, l for, as a. rule/he. has to share .rooms;with, another member, of the staff, who.cannot be expected to out of the -room.all day, so that,he can sleep. It is seldom' that: the /employer .will make any. allowance for: this. If'lt[r.(Paliner knows, anything of. the high 'rate of house rent in .Wellington, be.. ;will' find. that, a house. fit for even an : hotel -worker cannot, be had "for less than/12s. per..week, an even then it iis-in the suburbs,, and xosts at least/another^ls..,6d.: per 'week.for car fares,';' whicb> brings:: the wages down : to ■lts'.'/peV. *eek.':".'lvow,-: I' ask, .is .that a living, wage,, to-, keep; u.wife and' family on? r-It-is:for- the man, because he can get his,meals at the hotel, but how about ,thb,.wife, and 'children ?..': How.; do they get :on; : when.fpoi'clothing, and-all other ex;penses,'.attached:;to.married life have ; to be paid out'of-14s'.- ;:a week? -How can a man , gb.Ho the hotel:he-works at aid ;eet;a.good meal; knowing that hiskiddies 1 cannot'; get;*anything: better /than./ bread "and butter?..-I-think: if the hotelteepers jWonldygivi... the; married of ;;work-'. : would get "a'tbetter .class of men' to work/ for.,them, ; and .would;be- able .to ..do/with-; r out-! the j.class ! :that : vpnly'; stay): a. _w:eek ..;pr „ two at ! a v job.V: : Hoping ■ !you-. will' have the'Mndness'to/publisli ain, etc., :0;-;;i; MABBIED HOSTEL' WOEKBE: y .'.; WeilMgfenj.;!Febmary..,2S..'-,'. ':. ■-;■; ".:, ./ ''