A DEPUTATION.

North Otago Times, 26 July 1906, Page 2

A DEPUTATION.

" By Telegraph. ' Dunedin, July 2,i. ' A deputation from the General Labor- " ers Union waited on the Minister for ! Lands (the Hon. T. Y. Duncan) to en- " dcavor to bring about a letter state of : aflairs for workers. They asked that ' Motors cmplovMi a (> th'o "ailu'hV sta- ' li'm l,e paid (o'tnightly nstcad of four ! weekly, und that something should be - done to have more frequent sittings of I the Arbitration Court, T|ic Union went i Mora the .Conciliation Board and re- ■ ctjveil a fairly favorable recommendation, but' the masters would not accept this, : and the Union had to wait for the sit- • ting of the Court, which had not sat there for eighteen months except for a few days on special business. It was suggested that the Conciliation. Board's findings stlould be binding until superseded by an award. The Union would like legislation to prevent money lenders financing working men to,, enable them to take larw contracts, as it led to low wages being paid. Mr S. Borch'am spoke of the co-operative works, and complained of money being kept back, also that the Lahor. Bureau constituted itself a debt collecting agency. Complaint was made of coal heavers in the railway engine- slieiis hot being paid overtime, whilst in the gunning sheds, a few yards away, overtime was paid. Another member of ths deputation complained of how he hail been treated on -being sent to the North Island railway works. 'After working for a month he left an - order that money be sent to his wife in Dunedin. He reached home penniless a nd found no money had been sent to his.wlfo, who was destitute. He le.lt on February 23, and the'., money hail not yet come to hand, 'He, could produce the pay shfeets' to show that men were earning. 2s lid Pu'i day, and had to. pay a shilling for a loaf of bread, yet' the Government was. importing navvfe; . He/ was prepared to got four or five hundred men to go to Government work if .suite of reasonable treatment. Others also aired'their g'ievancps.v The Minister said the Labor De-; Patent was; not under his .control; but ho' would bring th'o matter under the notice of the Minister In charged 'Possibly, the Union; would! be asked to give more, specific information'; as. to ■ dates alii names, The Qoverhmertt ' did 'not wantmen to work for nothing'/ What hail s^eri. complained of'showed either'want on tto

. art of the system ot . Incompetence on tho part ot those in charge ot the v.nils, perhaps partly loth If some ol ilio. charges ihatlc were jiro'vcil it would iWan that some o! tliose In charge would i-cfc notice to fliul work elscwhnre. Mr S. Horehatk: subiniMctl- an olfor to. construct the Otago : railway with 10ii; men, from Clyde to Cromwell, tor' £85,000, against tho Mgfer's/eslimale ot £200,000, The Hon. Mr Duncan "said it was one thing to mate assertions, and a«btlier'to. do the work. ;