Councillor Didlum said that when they had a good man they ought to appreciate him.(Applause.) Compared with other officials, the Borough Engineer was not fairly paid.(Hear, hear.) The magistrates'
clerk received seventeen pounds a week.The Town Clerk seventeen pounds per week.He did not wish it to be understood that he thought those gentlemen were overpaid - far from it.(Hear, hear.) It was not that they got too much but that the Engineer got too little.How could they expect a man like that to exist on a paltry fifteen pounds a week? Why, it was nothing more or less than sweating! (Hear, hear.) He had much pleasure in moving that the Borough Engineer's salary be increased to seventeen pounds a week, and that his annual holiday be extended from a fortnight to one calendar month with hard la- he begged pardon - with full pay.(Loud cheers.)Councillor Rushton said that he did not propose to make a long speech -it was not necessary.He would content himself with formally seconding Councillor Didlum's excellent proposition.(Applause.)Councillor Weakling, whose rising was greeted with derisive laughter, said he must oppose the resolution.He wished it to be understood that he was not actuated by any feeling of personal animosity towards the Borough Engineer, but at the same time he considered it his duty to say that in his (Dr Weakling's) opinion, that official would be dear at half the price they were now paying him.(Disturbance.) He did not appear to understand his business, nearly all the work that was done cost in the end about double what the Borough Engineer estimated it could be done for.(Liar.) He considered him to be a grossly incompetent person (uproar) and was of opinion that if they were to advertise they could get dozens of better men who would be glad to do the work for five pounds a week.He moved that Mr Oyley Sweater be asked to resign and that they advertise for a man at five pounds a week.(Great uproar.)Councillor Grinder rose to a point of order.He appealed to the Chairman to squash the amendment.(Applause.)Councillor Didlum remarked that he supposed Councillor Grinder meant `quash': in that case, he would support the suggestion.
Councillor Grinder said it was about time they put a stopper on that feller Weakling.He (Grinder) did not care whether they called it squashing or quashing; it was all the same so long as they nipped him in the bud.(Cheers.) The man was a disgrace to the Council; always interfering and hindering the business.
The Mayor - Alderman Sweater - said that he did not think it consistent with the dignity of that Council to waste any more time over this scurrilous amendment.(Applause.) He was proud to say that it had never even been seconded, and therefore he would put Mr Didlum's resolution - a proposition which he had no hesitation in saying reflected the highest credit upon that gentleman and upon all those who supported it.(Vociferous cheers.)All those who were in favour signified their approval in the customary manner, and as Weakling was the only one opposed, the resolution was carried and the meeting proceeded to the next business.
Councillor Rushton said that several influential ratepayers and employers of labour had complained to him about the high wages of the Corporation workmen, some of whom were paid sevenpence-halfpenny an hour.Sevenpence an hour was the maximum wage paid to skilled workmen by private employers in that town, and he failed to see why the Corporation should pay more.(Hear, hear.) It had a very bad effect on the minds of the men in the employment of private firms, tending to make them dissatisfied with their wages.The same state of affairs prevailed with regard to the unskilled labourers in the Council's employment.Private employers could get that class of labour for fourpence-halfpenny or fivepence an hour, and yet the corporation paid fivepence-halfpenny and even sixpence for the same class of work.
(Shame.) It was not fair to the ratepayers.(Hear, hear.)Considering that the men in the employment of the Corporation had almost constant work, if there was to be a difference at all, they should get not more, but less, than those who worked for private firms.(Cheers.) He moved that the wages of the Corporation workmen be reduced in all cases to the same level as those paid by private firms.
Councillor Grinder seconded.He said it amounted to a positive scandal.Why, in the summer-time some of these men drew as much as 35/- in a single week! (Shame.) and it was quite common for unskilled labourers - fellers who did nothing but the very hardest and most laborious work, sich as carrying sacks of cement, or digging up the roads to get at the drains, and sich-like easy jobs - to walk off with 25/- a week! (Sensation.) He had often noticed some of these men swaggering about the town on Sundays, dressed like millionaires and cigared up! They seemed quite a different class of men from those who worked for private firms, and to look at the way some of their children was dressed you'd think their fathers was Cabinet Minstrels!
No wonder the ratepayers complained ot the high rates.Another grievance was that all the Corporation workmen were allowed two days'
holiday every year, in addition to the Bank Holidays, and were paid for them! (Cries of `shame', `Scandalous', `Disgraceful', etc.) No private contractor paid his men for Bank Holidays, and why should the Corporation do so? He had much pleasure in seconding Councillor Rushton's resolution.