Payment on Public Works

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 245, 17 October 1935, Page 7

Payment on Public Works

Wages and Conditions Criticised

LABOUR PARTY’S ATTACK IN HOUSE

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The debate on the Public Works Statement and Estimates was commenced by Mr M. J. Savage, leader of tho Opposition, in the House to-day. Mr Savage said he thought the time had come for an overhaul of the Public Works Department. The timo for a complete reorganisation was overdue. He said that iu tho last five weeks in the South Island alone 12,000 men had joined tho New Zealand Workers’ Union which covered Public Works jobs. That spoke eloquently of the conditions existing at the present time. He thought it was in tho interests both of tho department and the men that conditions should bo overhauled. Much time was now spent in patching up disputes. He spoke of tho conditons under which men were working in Hollyford valley, where tho men were living in tents without floors, with two feet of snow on the ground. In Central Otago, on the dam works, the men were living under very primitive conditions, and the Government wondered what was wrong with tho men when they complained. He said at some camps the men had difficulty in keeping square with .he storekeeper. The meu were supposed to bo receiving 12s a day, but were not getting it. Their wages ranged round 6s, 9s and 10s a day. The men did not mind the work but wanted proper organisation and decent conditions of work so that they could earn a reasonable living for themselves and families. The year 1932, which saw the beginning of the Coalition Government, also saw the cud of a decent standard of living for thousands of men and women of the Dominion. One Minister could not bo saddled with tho whole responsibility; it was tho responsibility of 'the Government. Men’s minds rebelled at the conditions, and ho took his hat off to the agitators who were attempting to obtain better living standards. Communications that had been sent him would break the heart of a Napoleon. Ho did not blame tho officers of the department, but he did blame the Government. There were jobs such as unfinished railways where men could be employed under decent conditions and become better purchasers of commodities. The department had immense possibilities, and with a Minister rvith vision and a Government prepared to finance him, New Zealand to-day could be turned into a paradise. It was humanly imposible for meu to do their best unless they were given encouragement. Mr W. A. Bodkin (Central Otago) said tho meu engaged on public works to-day were as great a credit to the department as they had ever been. He said he had investigated some of the conditions of the men and was informed that inexperience caused the men to earn lower wages than standard rates, and tho engineer informed him that adjustments had been made. He agreed that in some cases, such as Hindis pass, the men were entitled to an increase in pay and thought if the men in Hollyford valley were expected to live in teuts without floors it was not right, as it was a wet locality and plenty of timber was available. Mr W. E. Barnard spoke of the conditions of Iho men working oa jobs near Napier. Ho said tho meu had not been able to caru anything like the rato they were supposed to earn. The men had been wonderfully patient, and he said that was largely due to their being members of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, a body that would not act precipitately. lie urged tho Minister to make the conditions more reasonable. He contended that £3 a week was too low to expect men to. live in Napier in decency and comfort. Hon. J. Bitckcner (Minister for Public Works): It is not my department that supplies the money. Air Barnard said he appreciated that, but supposed the Minister had certain views on the matter, and asked him to use his influence to have the conditions improved. He severely criticised the No. 5 scheme and said he knew of nothing that had broken the hearts of men and women more than the continuance of that parttime scheme. He suggested the meu should bo employed on a 40-hour week basis. Air. W. E. Parry said ho was of opinion that- tho encroachments that were taking- place on the Public Works Department should not be allowed. If the department was to be so extended then a Minister with tho necessary knowledge and vigour should be placed in charge of it. The department to-day was very anaemic and somebody was needed to put vigour into it.Air. F. Langstonc paid a tribute to the work of the Public Works Department on its reading system, but said people forgot that roading work was done at Ae expense of the men who did it, the unemployed. He declared it ■would bo easy if the Government knew its business to pay the men £1 per day. He criticised the policy of sending men into the backblocks in such places as Hollyford valley and Lindis pass to make roads. Air. D. G. Sullivan asked the Alinister to inquire into the conditions at Lewis pass -amp w'here, he said, conditions were very bad and the men were unable to eara the I2s per day the Alinister had referred to so complacently in his departmental reports. Mr. E. Jones criticised the differential treatment accorded married and single men in camps doing the same class of work. Alany single men had dependents or were looking forward tc establishing their own homes. Mr. Jones made a plea for the completion of the Haast pass road. He said such a road would make a valuable oonnec-

tioa between Otago and South Westland and would open up much valuable land. It would be an excellent tourist route and was even more important than tho —-ord Sound road. Ho also urged that when this road was completed the Govornment would control the service that used it. Air. Bitehener: The Government has no intention of doing that. Air. Jones said henv&s-sorry to hear the Minister’s statement as he thought the service should'not go into private hands. Mr. A, J. Btallworthy said the public works policy of the Government was built upon tho filchings of the earnings of the people in the shape of unemployment taxation. Unemployment taxation had been the milch cow for the Public \v orks Department in recent years. The forms of the House would not allow him to express his opinion as he would like. Air. J. W. Poison: Give it a go! Mr. Stall worthy: My friend has got his farmer friends into trouble and he is not going to involve me! Mr. Stallworlhy went on to say that the unemployment fund had been raided by the Government for somo very doubtful projects as far as the farmer wa-s concerned. The whole thing was unsound, unbusinesslike and .inhuman. Ho suggested that' tho Minister should find some other way of financing tho public works policy than by raiding unemployment taxation. Hon. J. Bitehener said he was thankful tor somo of the things tho members of tho Opposition had brought under his notice. He did not know of some of the scandalous things that those members said existed and ventured to saysome men were living in huts and under conditions to-day that were better than had ever been iu public works camps. He did not think the rates of pay on tho average were as small as some members said. Ho would be pleased to see ail men in camps earning I2s per day. He quoted the rates showing that on the To Anau-Miiford Bound road during August married men earned from 12s 4d to 15s Sd per day while single men on the same job "earned from 7s to 13s 3d and iu tho case of low earnings the engineers brought them up to standard rates. He also * quoted the rates of earnings on the Lindis pass aud Lewis pass jobs on a 10s 6d per day basis. The average earnings at Lindis .in September were: 1 Alarried meu 13s 4d, single men 10s Sd. At Lewis pass the earnings for married men averaged 11s 9d and single men 9s 3d. He admitted there were some low earnings, one married party being 7s Id and he would ask the engineer to make it up and endeavour to see that tho men earned a reasonably decent rate and up to tho standard rate if possible. Mr Bitehener said he would endeavour to have the conditions on the Milford road bettered, but said some of the men preferred not to have boarded floors in their tents as it tended to make them draughty. Back on the Estimates The House went .into Committee to consider the Estimates, tho passing of which was accorded urgency. The first item was passed without discussion. Other items went through, quickly, a few members drawing attention to the wants of their respective electorates. On the item of £IOO,OOO for dairy industry-loans, Mr Savage said he supposed that was for new cow bails and so forth, but it scorned to him that it was starting at the wrong end. It seemed to be a matter of price, which was all right at the present time, but was the money to be spent for three or four men running round the country- advising fanners? Air Coates said the money would be used to enable farmers to bring their properties up to date in the way of new milking machinery and concrete, and lending money- for rebuilding or improving dairy factories. That was the money it was estimated would be required for the present year, but the plan was not yet quite complete and it was thought best to proceed slowly iu the early stages. On the Electric Bupply Account Rev. Cly-de Carr asked the Alinister to make a statement regarding- the rumours that the sluiee gates were not working satisfactorily. Hon. J. Bitehener said there was no difficulty there as far as he knew. Estimates amounting to £5.200.001 were passed. The Finance Bill, making proa isiou for increases in civil servants’ salaries and pensions, was introduced by Gov-ernor-General’s message. Air Savage asked the Alinister of Finance to give an outline of the Bill and Air A. M. Samuel' asked if the Bill corrected the anomaly regarding miners’ widows’ pensions. Sonic widows were being granted a pension for two years while others received a pension during widowhood. Air Coates said the Bill dealt witii four proposals contained in the Budget: Firstly, the increase in salaries and wages of civil servants and others; secondly-, the increase in old-age and other pensions; thirdly, payment out of the Consolidated Fund into various superannuation funds of a sum aggregating £200,000; and fourthly, a subsidy of 124 per cent, on rural rates. Regarding miners’ pensions, Air. Coates said that the matter would be considered by Cabinet to-morrow morning and if Cabinet agreed to act it would bo a matter of a clause in a later Bill. The Bill was read a first time. The War Pensions Amendment Bill was put through Committee without amendment, read a third time and passed. The Alental Defectives Amendment Bill and Masseurs Registration Amendment Bill were put through Committee, read a third time and passed. The House rose at 11.35 p.nw