HIGH WAGES BUT WORKERS SCARCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVIII, Issue LXXVIII, 17 June 1919, Page 5

HIGH WAGES BUT WORKERS SCARCE.

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, June 16. In a letter to Sir William Fraser, Mr H. Holland, ex-Mayor of Christchurch, referring to the visit of representatives of the Arthur's Pass Tunnel League to the Otira works, states that the lowest paid man in the tunnel received 15s for six hours forty minutes, while the men on the Arthur's Pass end, working on a co-operative contract ; had averaged 22s 10£ d per day for eight hours twentyfive minutes for a period of ei^ht months. There were only two shifts on the Arthur's Pass end, and if the men were available another shift could be! worked. This satisfied the visitors that j the offering of higher wages would not attract mor e men. Mr Holland says that, generally speaking, all the conditions of living were found to be satisfactory.