WORK AT DOMETT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13833, 19 February 1909, Page 5

WORK AT DOMETT.

OFFICIAL ENQUIRIES'. Per Press Association, CRB.ISTCHUR.CIi, Feb. 18. Mr J. H. Blow, Under-Secretary for Public Works, held an enquiry at Domett yesterday into the complaints made by the co-operative workers on the railway construction works. It was explained ifco the men that the first supposed delay in the pnvment of wages was due to the fact that men were constantly, arriving on the works after October 6th, and it was thought tliat it would he quite a fair thing"to pay on the date which was .selected. The second delay was due to the holiday season intervening. . These special circumstances having been removed there should be no irregularity in future. . Ih regard ,to tlie holidays, it was stated that-the engineer had'made a mistake when he ruled that a-ten days holiday was commilsory. If the men had telegraphed" to 'Wellington they would have been informed that they could work if they chose to do so. The Department was agreeableto provide all sanitary conveniences necessary to secure decency, and also to furnish firewood and coal at cost price. In regard to the request for timber for the lloors of tents, tho married were informed that this would he done where there were women and children m the tents. They were warned not to burn the timber so provided. The system of oayment was discussed, hut on this ooint the Minister had previously informed the men specifically that the rates would not be raised, and that they compared well with the rotes,paid-in other parts of the Dominion. Mr Blow, however, undertook to visit several of the cuttings and see' the sort of material which was being' lifted. The dismissal of Mr H. Campbell, one of the workmen who had taken an active part in the labour trouble, was referred to but Mr Blow absolutely refused to discuss the causes which' led to it. If Mr Campbell had been present at the inquiry the matter could have been discussed. There was a disposition on the part of the men to drag the subject m "by the heels," but Mr Blow checked this by informing those who wanted information that they could "keep on wanting it."