CO-OPERATIVE WORKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14440, 5 February 1909, Page 3

CO-OPERATIVE WORKS.

Sin,—l notice in to-day's Times a paragraph about the eobpertilive labourers on the Kiversdale-Waikaia Railway. The men bud every right, to lie. dissatisfied, as they certainly were, not treated as they had it right to oxiiect. 1 have- r.o hesitation in say-Jig the men worked very hard and to the best of their ability, so fus to please the new engineer who took charge just before the holidays. Yes, feeling ttid run high, and I can assure you the men were not backward in expressing their opinions to the engineer. .Not only were the men dis-atisfieit about tho measurement, of excavations, but also about, the material, which was not what it was represented to be. In the case of the gang with which 1 was connected, we were told by trie engineer that it was easy stuff, but it was just the reverse, including rotten rock, as was to bo sien in the batter or facing. The inspector or assistant-engineer wntclicd us several times during the day, and when w I old him thai it was hard picking ho remarked that it wastightstttlF. We fully expected to get a higher price, but. we wore astounded on looking at. out pay sheet to find we. did not gclu traction more, and when we complained to the inspector in front of the engineer he had the audacity to say coolly thai, there was no rock, lr is wonderful how the ]mv fluctuates. As example, it dropped from over is a day before the holidays, with "smokes," to a lnisorablo average at the fust pay after the holidays, \vii,!i no "smokes." Jt is vcr---curious that the ojrinrer mkl some of the men to stay, as iliey would get better pav next lime.—l am, .etc., W. K. B.