WORK AND WAGES.

Evening Star, Issue 11495, 12 March 1901, Page 8

WORK AND WAGES.

Mr Hales. Kngineer-in-Chief. and Mr Vickennan, district engineer, visited the tunnel at Karangahake (Auckland), and inspected the works where the men only earned between 4s and 5s dailv. As a result, the men have been asked to go back to work, with an assurance that thev will be treated fairly. Mr Vickennan staixs that the rates paid, were rather low, but sonic of the men had been loafing in the most barefaced wav, and the Government will not pay for such loafing. The Government, he says, desire to deal fairly with the men. but the men must co-operate with those responsible to the Government, otherwise the present system could not be maintained. The men have decided to go back to work at once. Some months ago the Wellington Saddlers. Harness. Bridle, Collar, and Bagmakers' Union appeared before the Conciliation Board there in a case brought, against three city employers. The result, of thathearing was that the union were instTuc'ed to attach the names of all employers in the trade within the Wellington industrial district. The union then sent a. copy of their agreement, to each of the country employers, and as some forty of these had signed" the' agreement and twenty-seven had "declined to do so, the union yesterday brought a case against the twenty-seven b-ifore the Board. The recommendation of the Board wa,s simply that the employers cited should sign the agreement entered into by the.others.

A Sydney mess-age states th.it with a view to .checking men working on the new railways squandering their money, the State Minister of Works proposes to stop 2s per day nut of the wages of all men and hand it over to them when they leave the work.