ANOTHER SWEATER.

NZ Truth, Issue 78, 15 December 1906, Page 5

ANOTHER SWEATER.

FORDELL-DISTRICT SLAVE DRIVER. Jhe Duties of a Hotel Porter. Another case of shameless sweating m :! the Workimg-nxan's Paradise" comes to hand to "keep the ball arollin." A young man, or rather a mere lad, and short, though sturdy, at that ; was sent to fill the position of "porter" at a country pub m the Fordell district, having first been asked if he could drive and kill— rather .unusual accomplishments for an hotel porter, even m a cduntry' where one servant is supposed to fill the position of anything from three to half- a. dozen. He said he could drive buij could not kill and the agent told him he'd do anyway. When he arrived at the "hotel," he found that m addition to his duties as "porter" m the house, > such as scrubbing out two bars, hallways, etc.. he was expected to clean the stables, milk, mark billiards, load' and draw on a two-horse dray, firewood from the bush once a week and cross-cut and chop it m the yard. The wood-getting was work, m the *&&¥ «QJhffiga t lo 5 s to te lifted on to a hiph drav^ for four men » and y et this little lad, m^ 1 ' . 20 - t 0 do it with only the grum^eKassistance of the publican. Pinallyt^ad waf asked to act as ploughman aiift^ffitTiis where he got off ! He had burst his boiler for three weeks, at a quid a week and he quit before they asked him to do the family washing and bath the kids ! No wonder tlie boss wanted to keep him on and contrived, by ofering to drive him the 20 miles to Fordell if he'd wait, to do so for several days. Then he figured it out that the walk was easier graft and lit out for Wellington. Verily these New Zealand country publicans don't want much frpm a "porter" !