THE CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5691, 9 October 1896, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM.

The following is extracted from the Public Works Statement laid on the table of the House of Representatives by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon W. Hall- Jones, on Oct. 3 : —

Practically, all our construction works are now carried out under the co-operative system, and a good many of our buildings and repairs also. Up till recently we have not attempted iron bridge construction! under this system ; but when the tenders for the Makohine viaduct on the North Island main trunk railway were received, and the lowest was found to be several thousand pounds in excess of the Engi-neer-in-Chief's estimate, the Government decided to caxry out the work under the so-operative contracts. Arrangements are accordingly being made for the supply of the cement and the unmanufactured iron and steel; and it is proposed to let co-opera-tive contracts to suitable skilled workmen for the building of the concrete piers and foundations, and the preparation and erection of the iron and steel work. The co-operative system having now been in operation for five years, I think I may take this opportunity of giving some facts and figures with regard to that method of carrying on our public works. During the five years ended March 31 last the total expenditure on co-operative works amounted to .£929,962, viz., .£528,785 by the Public Works Department, and .£401,177 by the Lands Department, and of the total sum no less than .£610,941 was paid direct to the workmen as the value of their labour. The length of railway constructed or partially constructed under the system was 172 miles, also 1180 miles of roads, besides various public buildings. The average number of men employed each, jear has been as follows: —

The earnings of the men have, of course, varied largely, caused by their different degrees of capacity as workmen, and partly by the different climatic and other conditions under which they have worked, but on the whole I think the results may be regarded as satisfactory both to the State and to the men immediately affected. Pull returns are attached to this Statement giving particulars as to the principal works carried out by the Public Works Department under this system during the last financial year. They show the different railways and buildings in the construction of which the system has been applied, the different classes of work carried out, the number of men employed, the time they worked and what they earned. The average earnings per day in the different callings have been as follow : — Concreters 7s 2d, fencers 7s sd, bushmen 7s 7d, labourers 7s Sd, platelayers and ballasters 7s lOd, carpenters (on buildings) 8s Id, painters 8s 3d, carpenters (on railways) 8s Bd, tunnel-men 9s lOd, slaters 10s 4d, masons 10s Bd, bricklayers 10s Bd, plumbers 10s lOd, plasterers 12s. Honourable members will also doubtless desire to know how works carried out on the cooperative system would compare in the matter of cost with similar work carried out under the contract system. I have, therefore, had a table prepared showing the mileage cost of each of the sections of railway that have been constructed under this system and the cost of other sections of the same railways carried out under the contract system. The cost of the rails has been omitted in each instance, as the Government have provided the permanent way material under both the co-operative and the contract systems. As, however, some of these sections are dissimilar in character (for example, the sections of the Otago Central Railway between Wingatui and Middlemarch and between Middlemarch and Hyde), I have had shown in another column the mileage cost of similar works on the same or other railways which can more reasonably be compared with the sections of line in question. The following I is the table, and ■ I ask the attention of honourable members to it, as the facts disclosed will, I venture to think, be of interest not only to the workers, but also to every taxpayer in the colony: — Table Showing Mileage Cost of Sections of Eailway Constbucted under the Co-operative and Contract Systems respectively. Co-operative System.

Year Lands Public Works m f , lear * Department. Department. Total ; 1891-92 ... 261 527 788 1892-93 ... 2SO 842 1122 1893-94 ... 933 1015 1948 1894-95 ... 1103 902 1065 1895-96 ... 1572 764 2336 Gross totals 4149 4110 8259 Average ... 830 822 1652

M. ~" £ ~£ Kamo-"Whakapara railway* „. 11 48,529 4,412 Te Aroha-Paeroa 2\ 29,359 2,349 Marton-Te Awaiontu (north end) ATokau-Poro Otarae ... ... ll\ 50,562 4,494 Marton-Te Awanmtu (sonth end) Manijaonoho-ttlangaweka* ... 10} 83,022 f 7,723 Eketahnna-Woodville* 27 139,593 5,170 Eketahuna-Woodville 27 117.233J 4,342 Otago Central railway — Bliddlemarch-Hyde ... ... 16 66.704 4,109 Hyde-Kokonga* 11 87,066 7,915 Catlin's River* 4» 30,114 6.C92 Seaward Bush— Mokoum to Gorge Boad ... 8 21,62t 2,703 'Section not yet completed. Engineer's estimate of cost to complete been added to expenditure actually incurred. ■(■Exclusive of cost of Makohine viaduct and Powhakaroa tunnel. of cost of bridges. Contract System. Whangarei-Kamo railway Z 6\ 36,885* 5,676 Hamilton-TeAroha 30 105,056t 3,502 Te Awainutu-Mokau 34^143,401 4,157 Marton-Mangaonoho 23 |121,491 5,282 "Wellhigton-Eketalmna 89 816,498 9,174 Wfaigatni to Middleniarch ... 40 481,482 12,037 JSalclutha to end of tunnel contract ... j 13J 63,640 4,714 Appleby-Waimatua I 5%' 9.491 1,726 ♦Exclusive of cost of wharf at Opau. jKxclusive of cost of Hamilton and Te Aroha bridges. Other Sections Constructed tjhder Contract System. , Masterton-Eketahnna railway... 22i;142,258* 6,323 Martbn-Te Awamutu, Mangao- I I noho section 4 34,161 8,540 Wellinßton-Woodville railway — i Featherston to Mangamalioe 37f 103,80£ 4,330 Otago Central railway — Wingatui, Deep Stream and Neuthorn sections 20H77.840. 8,782 Komaliapa to end of tunnel contract 7 47,000 0,714 Waitaki-Bluil live, Clinton section lfi* 47,542 2,8^1 I ♦Exclusive of cost of bridges.