CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 2500, 9 August 1893, Page 2

CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM.

Speaking on the co-operative system in the House the other day, Mr McGuire said the honourable member for Masterton had said that the working on tbe cooperative system in his district bad been very satisfactory. He regretted he could not cay tbe same for tbe working of tbe system in his constituency. People had taken up land there whicb bad been loaded Wih a oeitain amount of money for roa<3« making, and tbe settlers wbo bad taken up land were supposed to get tbe work on those roads, but, unfortunately, in many cases thid was not permitted. This, he considered, was a breach of faith on tbe part of the Government. Some 15s or 16s an acre had been added to the price of that land, that amount was to be spent on the making of main and by-roads; and if these people who had taken up the land had been able to get to work on the roads near their homes at schedule prices perhaps bo would have very little to complain of, and the Government would have fulfilled their pledge, and kept faith with the settlers. But as it waa they coold not get work unless they first came to "Wellington and got themselves enrolled at the Labor Bureau. Tbe action of tbe local bodies in this respect was very different — they let out their work in small ; contracts, and he was sure that the work lof tbe local bodies was done more expeditioußly, more satisfactory, and as well as that done under tbe co-operative system of the Government, and at one* third less cost. For tLese reasons be thought this co-operative Bysteus was not in tbe true interest of tbe openingup and settlement of the country. There were many rten on these works : whom those in charge would be very glad ! to get rid of; but they were frightened of offending the Minister, or of somebody else in authority. This should not be ; men of this class were retained although they retarded rather than helped on the work in tbe course of construction ; hut, notwithstanding this, they were making from 7o to 8s a day on an average, wes or dry, as can be seen by tbe returns; and if honorable members would remember tbe number of dry days that we have bad during the last fifteen months they would aae that theee men were making exceedingly higu wages tor tbe time they could work.