Here, If A Man Does Not Find You Quite What
He Wishes, He Is Certain Of Getting Plenty Of Others To Employ Him.
In
fact, he is at a premium, and soon finds this out.
On really good men
this produces no other effect than a demand for high wages. They will
be respectful and civil, though there will be a slight but quite
unobjectionable difference in their manner toward you. Bad men assume
an air of defiance which renders their immediate dismissal a matter of
necessity. When you have good men, however, you must recognise the
different position in which you stand toward them as compared with that
which subsisted at home. The fact is, they are more your equals and
more independent of you, and, this being the case, you must treat them
accordingly. I do not advise you for one moment to submit to
disrespect; this would be a fatal error. A man whose conduct does not
satisfy you must be sent about his business as certainly as in England;
but when you have men who DO suit you, you must, besides paying them
handsomely, expect them to treat you rather as an English yeoman would
speak to the squire of his parish than as an English labourer would
speak to him. The labour markets will not be so bad but that good men
can be had, and as long as you put up with bad men it serves you right
to be the loser by your weakness.
Some good hands are very improvident, and will for the most part spend
their money in drinking, a very short time after they have earned it.
They will come back possibly with a DEAD HORSE TO WORK OFF - that is, a
debt at the accommodation house - and will work hard for another year to
have another drinking bout at the end of it. This is a thing fatally
common here. Such men are often first-rate hands and thoroughly good
fellows when away from drink; but, on the whole, saving men are perhaps
the best. Commend yourself to a good screw for a shepherd; if he knows
the value of money he knows the value of lambs, and if he has contracted
the habit of being careful with his own money he will be apt to be so
with yours also. But in justice to the improvident, it must be owned
they are often admirable men save in the one point of sobriety.
Their political knowledge is absolutely nil, and, were the colony to
give them political power, it might as well give gunpowder to children.
How many hands shall you want?
We will say a couple of good bush hands, who will put up your hut and
yards and wool-shed. If you are in a hurry and have plenty of money you
can have more. Besides these you will want a bullock driver and
shepherd, unless you are shepherd yourself. You must manage the cooking
among you as best you can, and must be content to wash up yourself,
taking your full part in the culinary processes, or you will soon find
disaffection in the camp; but if you can afford to have a cook, have one
by all means.
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