MEN DISSATISFIED

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 149, 19 March 1936, Page 16

MEN DISSATISFIED

Camp at Milford Sound MR. SEMPLE APPROACHED Dominion Special Service. Dunedin, March 18. Complaints of men who left the Public Works camp at Milford Sound at the week-end were placed before the Minister of Public Works, Hou. R. Semple, at Invercargill yesterday. One of the men, who arrived at Bluff by the Marama on Sunday, stated that the men were making no complaint about the pay, but it was the conditions against which they protested. He said that a good deal of difficulty was experienced with the men in charge of the canteen, whose treatment of the 70-odd men in camp left a great deal to be desired. On canteen days it was necessary for the men to order everything they needed, and if there was any item they forgot it was impossible to get it from the canteen later because of the attitude of the men in charge. It was also stated that there were a good many men working on the Milford job who imagined that they were being paid at the rafe of 10/- a day, whereas they had really been reduced to 9/- a day. This was exemplified in the case of a man from Oamaru who wanted to collect his pay, and found that he was being paid at the rate of only 9/- a day. whereas he had thought be was earning 10/- a day. Certain of the tasks assigned to the men were described as “nigger’s work,” and as being unfit for ineu to do.

In the course of a general reply, during which he promised to investigate the complaints, the Minister stated that he proposed to give tlie men on public works every facility to do their best.