THE STONEBREAKERS AGAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9152, 6 September 1888, Page 5

THE STONEBREAKERS AGAIN.

The statement made in our yesterday's paper by one of the stonebreakers, that the average earnings amounted to from 10s to 12s a-week, and that they had to find dynamite, caps, and fuse out of that, excited considerable attention in town, and several inquiries were made as to whether , the statements could be correct. We have obtained from the City Council offices the ' pay-sheets for June and July, showing exactly the amounts earned by each man engaged at the work. We find that the average amounts earned were considerably above that stated by Mr. Jones to our reporter. It must be kept in mind that June and July are the two worst months in the year for such work, the days being short and the number of wet days large. We < find that during the eight weeks 3 of the 1 men earned £36 15s, or an average of 30s i per week each ; 10 men earned £100 4s, or an average of 25s each ; 20 men earned i £168 4s, or an average of £1 Is each ; the < whole of the 42 men employed made £136 ' 4s, or an average of 16s 3d. The largest l amount made in one month was £6 17s Bd, < or at the rate of 34s per week. This shows ' what can be done at stonebreaking. The ' average is brought down considerably by < men who only go to break, stones occa- < sionally. j (