SLOW WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 117, 21 May 1925, Page 5

SLOW WORKERS

STRIKING EXAMPLES

AUSTRALIANS INDICTED

ENGLISH EXPERT'S CRITICISM,

'{DOTTED PRESS ASSOCIATION'—COPIRIOHT.J (Received 21st May, 10 a.m.) '

SYDNEY, This Day. Mr. W. J. Russell, a well-known English salvage expert, in a serious indictment of Australian labour engaged in the shipbuilding industry, cited figures showing the work'done, and the costs in the salvage of the steamer City of Singapore, which was burnt at Adelaide.

The temporary repairs to the ship, said Mr. Russell, should have been finished in, at most, twenty-five daysactually they lasted seventy-two days The good men, some Australians, and some English, gave of their best throughout, and worked loyally. Others played the part of the unworthy traditions of well-organised labour. He cited the case of one man who drilled thirtyseven holes, seven-eighths of an inch "in diameter, through shell plating threequarters of an inch thick, in two hours whilst another, on the opposite side of the steamer, drilled forty-two similar holes in two and a-half days. The implements used, and the conditions of labour, and supervision, were identical in each case. In another case a plater made a dozen, awkward templates in tour and a-half hours, and another took the best part of a day to make three small ones. This was all reflected in the heavy costs. For example, rivets worth 10s a hundred in England co=t 9s each at Port Adelaide. Drilled holes worth a- penny each cost 4s 2£d each This was incidentally keeping contract work away from Australia