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New Zealand's First Refugees: Pahiatua's Polish Children
Public Works Department employees
Public Works Department employees
It will be observed from sections of this report dealing with Polish and army personnel respectively, that apart from a Polish handyman whose physical capacity is such that his services are practically of no use, no member of either group is engaged in general maintenance of the camp. This portion of the essential services of the camp is left to Public Works Department employees under the control of an overseer.
In addition to the work required at the camp, the Public Works Department section is responsible for repairing and maintaining government buildings in the Pahiatua district and the military camp in Moki Moki.
- 1. In a camp of this size, a considerable amount of repair work and minor alternations are continuously required. Furthermore, the Public Works Department overseer states that he has received specific instructions to maintain the camp in a high stage of repair so that in the event of the Poles vacating, it can be immediately handed over to somebody else as a going concern. As only a limited number of each type of tradesmen are employed, there can be no doubt that they are fully occupied
- 2. Apart from the actual work in the camp, government work required in other parts of the district involving travelling time would eliminate any possibility of slack periods for Public Works Department staff
- 3. The type of structure erected at the camp, because of its temporary nature, involves more repair work than is required for a permanent building
In addition to all the maintenance work, the Public Works Department section is responsible for the operation of two steam boilers. A 24-hour service is provided. In this connection, the poor class of coal supplied and power cuts add to the task. On a 40-hour-week basis for a 24-hour service, four boiler attendants are necessary.