WAGES ON PUBLIC WORKS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14983, 9 August 1919, Page 3

WAGES ON PUBLIC WORKS.

To the Editor of the Herald.) Sir,— *l should like to call the att-en-i-on of the public, and th© Repatriation Committee, who are having men sent here to work, to the fact that we are only receiving 12s per day. This -is. at least 2s a day less than the ruling rate for most classes of day labor throughoui the Island. We have just been told that, on account of the rise m all stock. we are not able to get meat m future nt less than lOd per lb. Bully beef (of which we got so fond m France) cast? 2s 9d per tin. I think a tin 'contains 28ozs; the low price of this suggests to me that it must be sold at a loss, perhaps as an advertisement. Butter, when we get it, costs Is 9d. Consult a town price list and see what tea, candles, etc., etc., cost, and then add freight, cartage and local store's profit, and then won ler how a married man is, going to keep himself, wife, and family on 12s a day. Think of the weather we are having at present, and remember he loses time on wet days. Cannot the Government, who expect private employers of labor to give us returned men a fair deal, set the example by giving iis a fair dea-l themselves? I remember "Bill"' telling us m France what a fine lot of chaps we mere, and how proud New Zealand was of us, and of what we had done, and were goinj? to do. That was a little over twelve months ago: Now iwe have done what was expected' of us, we can go and eat clay for all the Government cares. • I ate a fair amount of that mineral m Franco, but usually had rice or stew to flavor it. I have no desire to eat it here m its natural state, but if prices don't come down or public works go up, I see no alternative. Perhaps the committee' who are trying to push this line ahead would like to look into matters for themselves and find out why «o man-v men come and go. If so, they should come down on a nice wet day, and I can assure them of a hearty "welcome, a cup of tea, a portion of iron ration, a verse of that ever-popular navvy's song, entitled "J wouldn't leave my htt.e wooden hut for you," and lots of information. Trusting I have not taken up too much of your valuable space. — Yours, etc, . WORKING BULLOCK.

High-claaa Wrist and Pocket Watches, Waltham^Omega, and Rolex, at Gor-, lon's, Expert Watchmaker, ■ opposit* Bank N.Z> The All-Britißh Moore Gas Lighting System, the latest, .most convenient, and most economical of modern lighting,systems, for couritry homes, can.be installed m your home, anywhere m Poverty Bay or Bast Coast districts, for £20 and upwards, according' fc> the number o_ lights required- There is now nearly 100 plant* <n operation m this district alone. Messrs. H. M, Choveaux, Ltd., at the London Musio Shop, will gladly supply iniormatioa *n«! «,«otes on ree,wni»