A COMPARISON

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 85, 9 April 1924, Page 9

A COMPARISON

10 THE EDITOR.

figures and statements so far removal rom the truth that I feel bound Z°Z test against it. One section of it he heads "First-class telegraphist paid l e « tif third class carpenter," and under t head he says :»The carpenter of [o- day can command 2s 9d, 3s, and 3s 3d per hour for his services, according to h skill and experience. On a 44-hour week this is equal to £6 Is, £6 12s, and £7 3s per week respectively. I, .„„,",, terms it is equal to £315, £343 jS The first-class telegraphist o f ffl y S service can command only £9Qz, „, r which he has to contribute £15 £, the Superannuation Fund.'\ ■As I am not a carpenter I will leave it to the members of that trade to deal with his th.rd-cluss carpenter," a nd simply touch on his figures I w-is I lowed to fee the pay sheets of a ' lor-,1 builder of sonic repute lost Frid-iv Jo tinning a soudly number of names | 3u t I «;u iX JOsj JMule it cttuoot deny jUero

may be odd cases where a carpenter gets higher wages; I deny that he can com,mand the money.Mr. Combs mentions. But there are many other considerations. How many weeks in succession does a carpenter have complete, and how many does he have in the course of the year, when he loses whole days per week through bad weather? It would be a fair estimate to say that often one quarter of his time is lost. The Civil Servant does not lose one day per year. Again, the Civil servant is paid for holidays and annual leave. Not so the carpenter— not one hour. The Civil servant has uniforms provided, in the case of postmen, at least. The carpenter has to keep up a pretty expensive kit of tools, which needs renewal and accession Fairly c6nstantly. This, again, is nil in the case of the Civil servant. Mr. Combs speaks of the £15 for superannuation as a hardship, but the Civil servant gets it all back again, and'for all I know, with interest. . Mr. Combs refers to the Civil servant having "to pass the Standard VI. proficiency examinations. Heavens! What about the years of technical night classes a carpenter has to put in after the awful Standard VI. proficiency is passed? He also says, in big capitals, that the Civil servants have "to know their job." I see the carpenter that doesn't "know his job" "commanding" the big money Mr. Combs refers to. Not much ! Nobody has any objection to the P. and T. getting fair wages, but they won't get the sympathy of business men if they make such unfair comparisons as Mr. Combs makes in his circular.—l am, etc., SQUARE DEAL. Bth April.