TRAMWAY EXTENSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20255, 15 May 1929, Page 15

TRAMWAY EXTENSIONS.

.WORK FOR LOCAL MEN. I

BOARD IMPOSES RESTRICTIONS.

DAY LABOUR OR CONTRACT.

Preference in choosing labour for the construction of the Auckland tramway extensions is to be given to men who have been resident in the transport district ior at least three months prior to the day on which the loans were authorised by the ratepayers. This decision was made by the Transport Board yesterday, when it decided that applicants for work must supply particulars of their place of residence, their marriage state, number of dependants and duration of residence in the district. It was definitely laid down that men would not be employed merely because of their obligations, but that these would be taken into consideration.

The restriction regarding duration of residence was made at the suggestion of Mr. A. J. Entrican, who said men were now arriving from Australia and other parts of tho Dominion in anticipation of being employed on the works. Mr. E. J, Phelan agreed that this was the case. The board should protect its own people, many of whom had paid rate:? for a number of years. He admired the Mayor of Wellington for tho stand he had taken on the same question. Mr. 51. J. Goyle suggested the board should not employ any man on the extensions who left other work for the purpose.

Another aspect of the labour problem considered by the board was whether the track work should be done by contract or by day labour. The manager, air. A. E. Ford, recommended that tenders should be invited for the excavation of the tracks, but that the drainage, packing, platelaying and surfacing, which wasskilled work, should be dono by the board's staff, which had a large amount of experience. • Mr. E. H. Potter suggested that alternative tenders should be invited for the track-laying operations. He considered there were plenty of men available with the necessary experience, and if the prices submitted were within reason, the board should let a contract.

Day labour was favoured by Mr. Coyle. The board had decided that preference in employment should be given to local men, but it could not force that policy on a contractor.

Mr. Coyle was supported by Mr. Phelan, who said the board would have to pay more for its work if it imposed labour conditions on the contractors. The City Council had obtained very good results from day labour. Mr. Entrican suggested that,the practice of the Public Works Department of letting small labour contracts should be adopted. The chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, said the excavation contracts would be for labour only. Giving reasons why he considered the board's staff should put down the tracks, Mr. Ford said it was highly-skilled work, for on it depended the life of the line. A contractor had not the same incentive as the board's staff to put in all the work required. The board decided to use its own staff for the track laying and to obtain a report from the manager on the points raised with regard to the excavations. Replying to Mr. Phelan, the chairman said it would be August before a start was made with the excavations. The track materials would have to be in sight before the cuts were made. In the meantime there was other work which the board could put in hand and which would help the unemployment situation a little.