To the Editor of the Otago Witness.

Otago Witness, Issue 420, 17 December 1859, Page 6

To the Editor of the Otago Witness.

Sir, — It is quite amusing to read those parts of your contemporary's leading article which treat so largely upon road-making and the duty of the Government. In the last impression of the Colonist it's laid down as law that the Government labourers are henceforth to toil for 'Is. per day and rations. No doubt this will be considered a great feat (it looks so in print at any rate) ; but in order to make it look better still, there should be a dozen overseers invited from some of the American cotton plantations ; things would then go smoothly. Now, as the above wages will be so much less than the pay of private labour, it's to be hoped that the dupes that Mr. A. has been despatched to operate upon will know before they leave Auckland what they are to receive, for the Witness lately mentioned the pay of labourers at 6s. to Bs. per day. I need scarcely say that it's quite beyond the power of Mr. Colonist or his brethren in the Executive to raise or lower the price of labour at pleasure. At present, labour is not overpaid, considering the price of flour and groceries ; but if the man that toils in the Colonist office thinks otherwise, I would recommend him to prove it practically. It's useless to be always thundering about the lost time in smoking, and the heavy drag of lame horses, all pulling at the Government puise : if these don't .«u't, get otheis — only the bait will need to be a little bigger ; the Government work can never be well or cheap done at low wages. If the wages did not differ more than one shilling fiom private labour, then men and something like men would be had to make roads, &c, at any time ; but, lest I forget, I would piopose that Air. Editor should spend three months at the roads, and after that he would be able to lay before his readers how he could feed and clothe himself, wife, and family, and lay aside something for passage-money after he has done this ; but not till then will his opinion be of any consequence as to how much a man ought to vegetate upon. I guess, if the same gentleman had a Government office, that nothing short of £300 a-year would satisfy him ; yet the same person does not blush to represent the same sum as being sufficient for four men and families for a whole year, because they wear moleskin and come under the honest term of " labourer." Why is it that the men that make the colony are so grudgingly rewarded for their labour, and those in the same employ, known as Government officers, aie so liberally remunerated ? Let the Executive and those in power now do as they would like to be done by, and the public works will not be undone for want of hands. It would be better for the colony that the work should be done, if need be, at 7s. per day, than nothing done at all, and the funds lying idle, and the progress of the colony letarded because some small heads think that by getting things done cheap they are useful to society, and some time or other will effect a saving to the colony : but tho truth is, these are the men that will get nothing done at all ; they exhaust themselves crying for labour and boasting about the thousands of cash on hand, and so much work to do, that other colonies will look upon it as a hoax, or arrive at the truth at once, viz., will not pay a proper day's wage for a good day's work. A Juryman.