The Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1876.
A"4'tvv days sit nee we publi-dud a letter from a working man, drawing attention fo the many hardships which the class has to contend with t during that present depression in the labor market." The letter was written in a temperate and sensible tone, which evinced a desire on the part of the writer to treat the question in a plain straightforw.ard manner. While agreeing in.the main with many of the facts set forth, we think the scale of expenditure open to exception. However, the difference is hut a slight one, for the fact still remains, that a man with a family of six cannot he .expected to exist upon less than ■£2 pur week. Even with this income'it must he' confessed their :>harc of the luxuries of life would he hut small indeed. What, then, must he the condition of those who, with a daily wage of seven or eight shillings,through thednlnessof times, broken weather, and various other causes. are forced to he content with even three or four days in the week I We are speaking now- .>f those wh'V'nre- considered lucky enough to be in work at all.. Unfortunately, at the present time the number of working men who have no'share even in this small rptota is far in excess of the em r 'j ployed, and it is to he regretted that the'l .-itntcment is not confined to one district, j bin is felt throughout the C'oltftty. In j Ptmedin the amount of men seeking em- j ploymeftt is far greater than 'lyiVhceii i known for some considerable time.'. In- ! deed, the climax seemed to have been ' rent hed in that city a few days since when :i deputation waited upon his Worship the Mayor, entreating for the means of keep- w ittg the wolf from the door. The reply*'
received was, that the Corporation would uive employment to those seeking it ;>.t .stone-bi'raktny, at the rate of two .shilling per cubic yard. Now, wlien it is considered that to men not accustomed to that particular line of occupation, two yards is considered a good day's work, being a weekly cont[>en3ation of £1 4:5., it will he seen that to single men the sutiti will not suffice for more than to r«f> along with, but even that amount is HtaM«> to be still further minced bv broken
I weatlici*. To a married man having a family, it would certainly meet the end for which it has been bestowed —giving a mere existence —for if six shillings be taken for rent from the £1 45., it leaves 18s. wherewith to support a family. To those who assert that there is plenty of work for those who wish to seek it, an unanswerable denial is given by the fact that no less than seventy-three men immediately jumped at the munificent offer of the Corporation. It must, however, be admitted that the present is the dullest season of the year, and that the shearing which may be looked for in November, followed by the harvesting in February, will bring about a more healthy state of matters ; still the unpleasant fact yet remains that until the work in the agricultural and pastoral districts sets in, a large number will be compelled to imitate the chameleon and feed upon air. Even in .this town the condition of the working man is not one to bo jubilant about, f-r the progress of the works of | iuiproveiueiit, and the furtherance of the | JJreakwater has not been without its effect upon the labor market. The surf-men [ have been reduced, and we know for a I fact that vessels which formerly cost a i large sum for the discharging and loading can be s>,-nt to sea at one-fourth the expense foriuei-ly incurred. In our issue of to-day we publish another letter on the subject, and although we cannot agree with all our correspondent's remarks, we cannot but sympathise with what we consider a just and ligitimate grievance.
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Bibliographic details
Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 106, 23 August 1876, Page 2
Word Count
669The Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1876. Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 106, 23 August 1876, Page 2
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