THE PICTON EMBROGLIO.

Marlborough Express, Volume VII, Issue 422, 17 August 1872, Page 5

THE PICTON EMBROGLIO.

It is an extremely! difficult task to form an opinion upon any subject when the whole of the facts are not before us, and the very importance of the interests involved in the recent misunderstanding between Messrs Brogden and their men, makes us more than usually cautious in approaching the subject. The people of Picton will have had many facilities for acquiring information which we do not possess, and as the Picton Press has to a great extent espoused the cause of the men, we are disposed to believe that some show of justice may exist in their complaints, and to admit that a greater degree of severity may have been shown towards them than the circumstances of the case would justify. We do not say this is the case, we only admit the possibility. On the other hand we have heard from the most varied and disinterested sources, that with a few honourable exceptions, a more inefficient body of men could scarcely be got together. Judging from our own knowledge of large and costly -works like the present, it is usually the interest of the contractor to push ahead with all fair and reasonable speed, and we may justly infer such to be the case with Messrs Brogden ; in addition to which we may keep in mind that they have to recoup the passage of these men from England. We have now to enquire whether fair and reasonable progress has been made by their employes in the work, and also whether the general conduct of the men has beeu such as ito inspire confidence in their employers. We have the evidence of numerous witnesses, that many of the men have been in the habit of collecting black mail in Picton, to squander in drunkenness; that they do more work at the public house bars than they do on the road ; and that the majority of them would not obtain 10s a week and their food at any farm in Marlborough. If these allegations are true, and we have our information from persons of the highest to the lowest in social rank in the Province, it was highly necessary that some steps should betaken to bring matters to a proper footing. There is a great deal in “a Colonist’s ” letter in the Press of which we approve, for we believe that unduly protracted hours of labour are neither profitable to employer or employed, but we have no desire to interfere be - tween them. Neither have we any sympathy with the truck system ; we know it to be extremely pernicious, but at the same time we consider the workman has the right to bargain for wages, or for wages with food, or for any other equivalent which he considers advantageous to himself, and that so long as he does not interfere with the just rights or liberties of others, no one has a right to interfere with him, or with his employer. The course taken by some of the people of Picton in that respect seems to us to be somewhat ill-judged, and somewhat mysterious, and we are far from singular in our opinions, for they appear to be held by everyone at this end of the line. However, now that a stir has been made, we trust that the whole matter will be thoroughly investigated —but in a proper, considerate, and legal manner—and amicably and justly settled to the satisfaction of all parties ; and that no more such untoward disagreements nor panic Meetiugsjwill retardlthe progress of the work, or the prosperity of our newly-arrived fellow colonists.