BUSHMEN AND THEIR EMPLOYERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8285, 18 June 1890, Page 3

BUSHMEN AND THEIR EMPLOYERS.

TO THE EDITOIB. Would you kindly granb me permission, through themedhunof your paper, to call the attention of the men employed m the kauri bushes to the necessity of taking some action to establish themselves in some better position than what they are placed in now. The mode of paying bushmen, the hour 3 they work, the security for their wages, are all, taken together, without parallel in the colony. If Igo to work: in the bush for an individual known as a "contractor," and remain there for soma time, when I am going to leave, or if I require some money, I go and demand my wages. Well, a person naturally thinks that he will get paid the same as all other labourers are paid, via. : with cash, on the ground whereheearnedit. But no such thingThe contractor gives me a scrap of paper, something like a cheque, humorously designated a "pay note," bub totally valueless as a negotiable document, and bells meto go to the mill and the manager will pay; me the amount contained in the pay note : in short, it is an order on the manager to pay me my wages. The mill is situated a. long distance from the bush, generally from 10 to 40 miles, and I have got to tramp that distance over a rough track, through creeks and tidal rivers to geb two or three pounds. It often takes two. days' trip to reach the mill, and a man has to boar all expenses en rmtbe. On arriving at the mill, I may be told by some official, " Oh, you can't get paid, Mr. Manager iff away at the bush, or Auckland, or Jericho, and you must wait until he returns." But I have to stop there waiting for his royal highness to appear, blessing a system that allows such a state of things. And when he does appear, I approach him with awe and trembling, and great respeco for does be not hold the power of life and' death in his hands, or what is to me the same thing, the power to pay or withhold the wages due to me from the contractor., He may bell me that the contractor is in debt, and he won't pay any more wage»on ; his job ; or he may declare that he does nob know me, and in a factious way declare he does not know the contractor either; and 1 may perhaps wax wroth and use profane and unseemly language, and say the company has the benefit of my hard work, aud they ought bo pay me my wages. He will then tell me to go to the matt who employed me and let him pay me my wages, ; or go to Sheol. Now, this is ?*dding insultr to injury, for I know the contractor is a notoriously impecunious individual, as. nearly all bush contractors- are, and it is perfectly useless for me to go back to him. So I pub on my /swag and seek fresh pastures only to be treated, perhaps, in the very saline way. Now, you: may think the above picture Overdrawn, .but I can assure you X have seen it often so often. And I ha,ve been there myselfI have seen of us leave a bush whare and go bo the mill to be settled with, and having to clear out without a copper, and that too in a bush owned by one of Auckland's mos'o respected citizens, and a man well able 'feo pay us, superintendent of Sunday school, and a director of manyi public companies. Now, such things are happening every day, and may occur to us all, and at any moment, and against which we have rio redress. Even if a man is paid his wages without any trouble when he reaches the mill ; he has too much trouble to ge'o there, too much loss of time and money. If he has only a small amount to lift, it may cost him half of it to geb paid. Or, if I have a large sum due to me for wages, say fifty or sixty pounds, and I want a pound to send to Auckland, or for any purpose, I have to I walk to the mill and draw the entire Swalk to the mill and draw the entire amount, and get the mill order cashed, having to pay a stiff percentage to some publican, perhaps, for cashing it. For the mill orders are only payable at head offices., Another thing is the long hours worked.. I think it is a disgrace to us as a body of men, who call themselves independent, etc., to submit to such a glaring imposition. I know of no reason why we should work ten hours per day any more than any other body of men in the colony. And at the present time, if we were unanimous, and demanded a shortening of our hours of labour, we would have no difficulty in getting our demands satisfied. My reasons for writing this letter will be obvious to every bushman in the kauri bushes. I have only touched slightly on some of the things that trouble us, and I hope this letter will at least provoke a cool discussion in every bush whare, of the necessity of taking some action to form a combination or union, ofi some sort that will have our unanimous support both morally and financially. I wish the Trades and Labour Council or some of the unions would take the matter in hand to organise us. I believe they will get our full support. And in case, of anything of the sorb being done, the first two reforms necessary are, I think—first, fortnightly or monthly payments in the whare ; second, eight hours per day to constitute a day's labour. I had intended bo explain in this letter the mode of letting and working what are known as " bush contracts," and the sort of individual the " contractor " may be, and his chances of making money at his contract, but I have already trespassed on your good grace too much. Hoping this may have the effect of stirring np interest) in the matter, lam, etc., Puketaiko.