CITY RESERVES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 72, 25 March 1912, Page 8

CITY RESERVES.

SUPERINTENDENT AND EMPLOYEE. COUNCILLOR FROST EXPLAINS THE POSITION. ' . STATEMENT BY THE MAN IN . ' QUESTION., The casa of an employee of the City Council, which was brought before the council meeting on Thursday evening last by Councillor Fletcher, who complained of the man's treatment by the Superintendent of Reserves, is opened up again by the chairman of the Reserves Committee (Councillor George Frost) in a lengthy letter to the editor of The Post by way of reply to Councillor Fletcher's allegations. The circumstances, so far as they were revealed at the council meeting and in subsequent statemeuls made to a Post reporter by Councillors Frost and Fletcher, were published in The Post of Friday and Saturday last. Briefly, they wero that Councillor Fletcher stated that the man in question, employed in the Botanical Gardens, had been overworked to such an extent that his health was broken down and that tli« Reserves Committee had granted leave of absence, which the Superintendent of Reserves withheld. THE MAN'S DUTIES. Councillor Frost, in his letter describes the actual position held by the man ac follows . — "He is foreman labourer in the Botanical ardens, and receives £3 per week. In addition to tht», for his wurk (if work you could call it) of taking an occasional walk through tha gardens of an evening and on Sundaj's, he receives a dwelling-he use rent free, worth, I should say, 15s per' week. This house is situated in the gardens, which also savei for him the cost of tram fares travelling to and fro to work, as most workmen have to do. This brings up the total value of his job to fully £4 per weeJi. He also receives one. halfday off every alternate week on full pay. I believe," adds the chairman of tn<« Reserves Commii/tee, "many men in Wellington to-day would risk the breakdown through overwork, if they could obtain this job should it become vacant." THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ' ACTION. "Now, sir." Councillor Frost continues, "as to the action of the Superintendent of Reserves, ro this maus request for leave of absence — the facts are that, at a meeting of the Reserves Committee held on 2?th February last, the Superintendent submitted tlie following report : — "'I beg to report that for some months back tho general work in the Botanic Gardens has not been carried out- to my satisfaction. The man who has acted as foreman over th,e labourers for some years Beeais to have got into bad health, and is not able, as formerly, to lead lha men at their work,_ which, if not altered, will eooii be ruinous to the department. I propose that this man should be given the work that the late Joseph Quillici had in the gardens, which would be easier for him, and I would try to get an energetic man in his place.' "This report was then adopted unanimously after a discussion and fuli laformation obtained from the Superintendent. The next movo in connection wit-hthifi question was that 'at the next meeting of the Reserves Committee, held a. fortnight later. This man applied for a holiday after receiving ten daj-s' sick leave on full pay. He forwarded a dcctor> certificate, ttatiiig that ho required a. ret^t. The committee rarried a resolution granting two weeks' holiday ouj ull pay, also givifrj* him a further two weeks'extension of lime to vacate tho house for his euceesisor, leaving it to the man and tho Superintendent to fix Hates for the holiday, and also to give the man a much lighter job in the gardens, with the ordinary Jiouia, at £3 per week, tho i eduction in wages to a level with the other men not being given effect to purely out of consideration to him Tor his long services (and thii3 lelievinj' him of tlxe iu-cuJJUid chaining to too SM<iefie.li< " ,

"Now, sir. the man then wrote and asked Mr. Uleii to allow him to start the holiday on 4th April, the day before Eaeter holiday. ci> that he could take advantage of the excursion fares, at, he intended taking a. trip. This the Superintendent immediately granted, bub unfortunately Councillor Fletcher asked the question referred to in the first part of my letter, and pressed the Mayor to give the man his holiday right away, which was giving the man the very thing he- did not want. It is not the intention c-r desire of the committee that the man ehould in any way suffer by having the holiday forced on him at a date inconvenient to him, and in deference to his own wishes, I have, in my position as Acting-Chairman of the Reserves Committee, instructed the Superintendent of Reserves that the man's holiday shall be extended for a further •week to enable him to obtain Ihe full advantages of the Easter excursion rates." <- In conclusion Councillor Frost says that he doeo not believe that Councillor Fletcher would have pressed the question in the first instance to the extent he did, had he not been misinformed. As to the enquiry asked for by Councillor Fletcher, he could safely say that the 'committee would offer no objection, and would indeed welcome any enquiry, more especially as the officer referred to was barred from reply through the press. Councillor Frost's letter is endorsed by Councillor John Smith, the ActingMayor, who 6tates that he can vouch for ite correctness. -A SUGGESTED ENQUIRY. "P.E.8." writes: — I thjnk Councillor Fletcher is quite right in saying thero should be an enquiry into the management of the City Reserves. I notice the Acting-Mayor charges Councillor Fletcher with exaggeration, and states: — "The man was only employed from eight to five, and after that he did no other work but keep an eye on the Gardens." "The eyo on the Gardens" means being at the main entrance from about six p.m. until nine or ten o'clock, Sunday included, to stop the public entering. The employee in question works from eight a.m. until nine p.m. for seven days in the -week, with the exception of about five hours every other week. Surely a man who works from eight to five, and in- addition, "keeps an eye on the Gardens" until ten p.m. every evening, is doing more* than the • City Council expects of any of its employees? Councillor Fletcher states that the case was mentioned to him by citizens who had observed the man'& position. I drew Councillor Fletcher's attention to it six months ago, and . asked him to make enquiries. THE MAN'S VERSION. P. Mulcahy writes: — "In the Poet, your report of the City Council's meeting states that the Acting-Mayor charged Councillor Fletcher- with exaggerating re City Council employees. lam the man in question, and I trust you will allow tne space in your valuable columns to make a plain 'statement of facts, and show your readers who is right, and that Councillor Fletcher has by no means exaggerated my case. ' It is quite true that I had had only three weeks' holidays in eight yeare. Two months ago I applied for my holidays, and asked that they might start from 4th April, co that I might take advantage of tho 'Easter excursion. To-day i was informed by the superintendent that my holidays were to begin at once, and that 1 wae allowed two weeks, so I am debarred from getting excursion fares. I can bring a score cf witnesses to prove that I have been %n duty every day from 8 to 5, and from 6 to 9 or 10 each evening. I have had only fouihours off duty in the seven days of each week. I have never made a complaint to any councillor, and the information Councillor Fletcher has acquired did not come from me. lam quite prepared and willing to go before tho councillors and prove my case at any time My health is good, but I think you will agree with me, after the long and constant hours, that I deserve a holiday, after which I will be as fit and well as everi I was."