ROAD MAINTENANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 133, 2 December 1937, Page 21

ROAD MAINTENANCE

SEASONAL WORK

LABOUR QUESTION

(Special .to the "Evening Post.")

PALMEBSTON N., This Day.' "This is the first time I have heard )f good men leaving public works to ;o farming," said Mr. W. Morrison, a nember of the Main Highways Board, vhen' the question of labour on the ■oads" was being discussed with a demtation from the Automobile .Associaion (Manawatu)..

For the association Mr. N. H. Mackie uggested that just as there was seaonal work on farms, so there was seaonal work on the highways. The coalitions prevailing on some roads were uch.that work could be done at half he cost in the summer time than in hie winter. He referred to the resrmation of roads in heavy clay coun-.-y in particular. It was important, he aid, that if the motorist was going to c asked to. pay for this work, it was nly fair that tney should point out le savings to be made from doing the <-ork in the summer time. At this me of the year men were leaving Dad works to go shearing and harvestig. A way out would be to get ths ■ork done on the contract basis.

The deputy chairman of the board, [r. A. J. Baker, said that if they could jnsider the interests of the job, wnaf Cr. Mackie had said was quite correct, ut the policy of the Government was > keep men in employment, and it as also the policy of the Government lat. men should be made available for inn work. No Government would and up to criticism if it kept men ojj ablic works and prevented them from ning to farms,' and, having that in ew, the Public Works Department und it necessary tj have a full comement of men working in the winter me. There was no avoiding that, and c best that could be done was to ,-oid working in the winter time in cations where the work would bs 'nficiently done.