THE PUBLIC WORKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20706, 2 May 1929, Page 13

THE PUBLIC WORKS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —Quite recently we have: read in the newspapers a Press Association message in which the Minister, of Public Works emphatically denied the correctness of the various complaints brought forward by the New Zealand Workers’

Union. There are two sides to every question, and many matters which were discussed by the department and the union representatives were not commented Upon by' the Minister in his reply. The time has now arrived when the people who pay for public works through the Consolidated revenue should be told the true circumstances of . the hundreds of men who are employed bn these works. The class of management that was good enough under the Reform regime is hardly good enough to be tolerated by the new Government. The workers hope to get a fair deal from this Government, and are willing to adopt constitutional methods in putting forward their ' requests. The public works in various parts of the Dominion are one seething mass of mismanagement in many places, and, coming nearer home, we can take the Waitaki hydro-electric development scheme as an example. ■ ■ We all know that the population of ,Otago and- South Canterbury, as the prospective consumers of the electrical energy to be derived from this scheme, have to pay for the costly undertaking, and, judged by the rate of progress, it is indeed going to cost the ratepayers of this Dominion a fairly “ hefty" sum. ■ We all know that unemployment was at its height in Dunedin and Timaru during the last 12 months. Many men, capable of carrying on work of this nature, were sidetracked, and large numbers of men were brought from Westfield railway works at Auckland and housed and employed, when the local men were still being told, “Nothing doing.” If, at this time, the local men still persisted in begging for they were, if they applied in person, given a very uncivil answer by a man whose age only protected him from serious consequences. It is strange to relate that since the change of Government this migration from- Auckland has ceased, and many South Island men now ■ find employment here. Accommodation for married men is sadly in arrears in this place, and many men, .if they persist in . forcing ■ their claims, run the risk of “ going down the road;” Ability and efficiency are by no means recognised at Waitaki, and the consequence is that many first-class trades-, men have to work at a lower rate of pay, while part-time served men and “ rule of thumb ” tradesmen get a good slice of the loaf. Is it any wonder, when this sort of thing goes on, that dissatisfaction on public works is rampant? It is 3mibtful, too, if some foremen and headman are the most competent men bn the works. It can hardly be said that: a man-who has spent the best part of- his days in the bush and behind the plough and the scoop makes a successful bridge builder and foreman. Another matter is that on any one public works job foremen should have no family r. relationships. There are too- many 'foremen's sons and daughters working at the Waitaki hydro, and this, is-not in the interest, of - the workers, as tales are undoubtedly carried, and good men go'“ down the-track,”-while the tale-bearer' carries on. and is welcomed. _ There is’ too ' much interference with the workmen by unauthorised persons, and this, too, is, causing much dissension among the workers. It must be admitted that there are, a few capable officials here who spare neiflier tirae nor trouble in carrying out their duties, whether they be in the .interest of workers or the department. •Another matter'is that " the timekeeper ” is out at all hours Of the night and morning. It is not an uncommon..occurrence for him to be stalking around the' jobs at 5 a.tn. This soft of attitude is not complimentary to the foremen, and is, in fact, undermining confidence in them.I am, etc., Banjo.