EMPLOYMENT IN TIMARU

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13657, 28 July 1908, Page 6

EMPLOYMENT IN TIMARU

(To the Editor of the " Timnru Herald.''l Sir, —" One Who Knows " seems almost to be withdrawing his offer of " 30s per week and find yourself" gorsc-grubbing, in Mackenzie Country, because he refusers to give the name of the philanthropic farmer. I doubfc if he exists except on paper. " One Who Knows *' declares he is prepared to accept only " genuine unemployed." I suppose an applicant mustbe able to move that he is thoroughly destitute or he will not. be accepted, and 1 believe he will be thoroughly destitute before he will apply. It interests me to know how many capital l's " One Who Knowts" can cram into a short apace, and I am also pleased to read " I myself," (why add "myself") have been ou the Government works and never earned Jess than 9s per day." He must have been a good hand, and will no doubt, be living in affluence to-day. Perhaps he is a "selfmade" man. if so, he is very devout—he worships bin maker.—l am etc.. ONE WHO WISHES TO KNOW. 23th July, 1908.

Sir, Allow me another small space in your paper in regard lo " One Who Knows." He begs lo bo excused from entering into a newspaper controversy, as he has no time. He must, be going niphl and day with no time to stop. I sup pose lie thought he would make a. few shots for other people lo tire, just for a start, and then pull out). I think I have wine ide.i.s who this "One Who Knows" is. He says lie has been on the. <!o----vernmcnt works and has never earned less than nine shillings a day. I don't think he got many blisters on his hands to earn it. but lie might, have gol some on lii.s feet, walking up ami down watching others Hying to earn it. 1 will challenge "One Who Knows" or any other man lo say ho never made les.-' than nine shillings a day, unle.-i> ho was on day work or hlacksmithing or some job like that. I will meet him anywhere, he likes, and prove to h : m that no man who worked on the Mount- Cook road averaged eight- shillings a day, and thero were as good men as he is or ever was. I have worked on | lie West Coast, down soulli and in the North Island, and I ought, lo know as milch as "One Who Knows" everything or perhaps nothing. I suppose he has craulcd his way up to a higher billet. If mil he ought lo have stopped at the woik get-tin;: his nine shilling.-* a day. IVrhaps " One Who Knows " has got- a liii iid who is a farmer would 1-ke to get poor men to wink from daylight, lo daik for two or thne shillings a day, to maku a big suck for the boss. »l list you wait, tlrie will soon be auoiiicr slnpload of men out soon, who don't, know what, is in t,i«iie for tlieni, poor lads, leaving good warm lioiim-s ;it Home lo come i• ii: litre lo |i\c in Iciils, just- to oblig- a fen iiioim i gi.ilibcii-. I am etc, .1 J!l>.\|) >ll. I\ lII'II v gi.uil In space I', s.l \ a. P' ii name -s bursting niili knowledge, thai, is "One Who Knows.'' H(> s.ivs thrro is no unemployed piobl'-m in Timaru. It. is no ii-" making large loos e stnt.-incnli; bk-.* '!*■- ••:••• n ho w hiiMdinr: o\. e uiih iiitelh ct .-Ind o!h<.'is of his ilk <lo who have no facts Co b;ck them up. and when they ate given .i denial talk in the same

strain as tlrs allege*! knowing one, and saying such tilings ai> "I have neither tlm '•inn' n»>r enter ml" newspaper < mil roversy with anyone. An< - reiillv L lie.'inl someone else say it and I tliiiik it. must, Ik* right." A " 1 1 , 1 "l* 5 ! 1 I've no tloulit. they say "Haw, with the right accent, or intonation, whichever is the correct word. W I «''» end"*vonr to five run I*olllo n^ r,,( s the two "cases he names, one of the poor unfort\matc rami «ho wanted Ins l"«»y liuried. 1 can picture the tears m "One Who Knows'" oves as ho writes of the sad incident; and the other one a earner who wanted someone to help linn slut ■ furniture. Now this job shifting furniture would be worth at the meiit two shillings or two and six, and there was a, boat expected in tho day lie mentions, and to expect men who had a. chance to get on that boat to do it in for tho aforesaid two shillings is ft bit rich in say the least of it. As regards the dear departed pony I have been on the wliaif lor a good while now, and L can safely say since 1 have been there, tlieie has been no fat influential tradesman looking for men to bury a putrid .horse. And pleasn (ell me how to keep wives and children on these large sums of money. Now for a. few facts. I will give you (he wages of twenty-five bona fide wharf lumpers, noli men who have just come there this last month- They were selected at random on the .wharf this morning. The men do not. wish their names 'to appear in the paper, but should anyone doubt these figures, coine down to the wharf and make inquiries and they will soon lilid these figures are correct. Total amount of wages for last four weeks : C. II 2 5 T.M 3 1" '] » i:.c " 11 K.T * 10 x 0 W.U >1 " ,? «,s ° •: \ S S \ T.I) T <■ « J (} p '1 0 T IJ" 1° I.!; : ;'» 'l'-.K; i « j!F.'* 210 . These figures show an average of about fourteen and isix per week for this las' month. Now tilings will not improve, on the wharf for a long time yet. J" fact, when the freezings works close they will be wor.se because t.he big boats ■ \i ill then stop coming until next season. There arc auv amount of men about the sheds and wharf who have not. earned a penny this last six weekfi. A married man who is a casual labourer lives from hand to mouth, and if lie is out of work lor evei so short a time it comes pretty hard on him. The wages earned by the butchers at the freezing works this last month or more are about a pound a week. These men are tradesmen, and if they only earn a pound what must labourers be making. I believe eighteen butchers were put otf on Saturday and about thirty labourers. Where is the work, coming from! to give these men a chance who have been doing practically nothing for weeks and weeks? It is a well known fact that as soon as men get out of work they make for the wharf. Hence it. comes about that when ]>eople remark about the unemployed 1 about the wharf, those of the knowing brand remark: —"They are all wharf lumpens. They only work a couple of days a. week and they make a, pound a day, therefore they are all rght." I suppose some people are wondering what are. the wages paid ; they are twelve shillings a. day for eight hours. Not quite as much as a sovereign a day, is it? And when "One Who Knows" talks about treating Mr McKenzie's letter with contempt it does not appear like contempt at all but more like a bray and a kick from son.o asinine hoof. Judging by the tone of " One Who Knows' " letters, 1 should say he was very intimate with those very nice people who sit up late at nigh.'s and take nourishment- out of sundry bottles, and plan how not to further the inteivstu of the workers. In conclusion, let iue ask you to forward the laurel wreath, or cash prize, or halo, whichever it is the office keeps for prevaricators, to " One Who Knows" at once.—l am etc., WHARF LUMPER.

[We keep no wreaths of any sort. We are always pleased to afford correspondents the opportunity to place their views and experience before the public, but we do not care about mere wra.ngling. Correspondents will please take the hint.— Ed. T.H.J THIS CO-OPERATIVE WORKS. Per Tress Association. WELLINGTON", July 27. Speaking to a Pret»> representative the Hon. W. HaJI-Joncs said lie could find work fc,r hundreds- of men on the ro operative works, and in view of that fact he could not wo why men who were! lihysically capable of work should stay in towns, as wais done in Chrihtchurch and go round with a, cart and collect, fond. Art to the wages earned, the Minititor said that t.lio system was based on payment by results. The rate was on the basis that if (he average man worked up lo hiis ability he could earn cighl- Khiiiings a. dav. Many men earned more.