Begin forwarded message:
From: ALAN SKEOCH <alan.skeoch@rogers.com>Subject: Fwd: EPISODE 445 IRISH STORIES: I WAS A POOR PAYMASTER (I NOW REALIZE 61 YEARS TO LATE)Date: October 9, 2021 at 7:41:01 PM EDTTo: John Myers <jjcm1946@sympatico.ca>, John Wardle <john.t.wardle@gmail.com>, Alan Skeoch <alan.skeoch@rogers.com>, Marjorie Skeoch <marjorieskeoch@gmail.com>, alan.skeoch1@gmail.com
Note:John Wardle…tell me if you get this episode
EPISODE 445 IRISH SORIES: I WAS A POOR PAYMASTER (I NOW REALIZE 61 YEARS LATER)alan skeochOct. 2021FRIDAY WAS PAYDAY IN THE SHACK BEHIND THE KENNEDY STORE…WITH FREE CIGARETTESBeing a paymaster was quite a shock on the Irish job. I hired a lot of people and was told by someone that an Irish pound a daywas the going wage for unskilled labour. Seemed OK to the men. As i now know the wage wasridiculously low. The real wage in Ireland in 1960 was $1.25 per hour (U.S)…about 6 to 7 pounds per day.How did I not know? IGNORANCE. I Used my own wage as a template. I was being paid $400 a month…about $5 a day for skilled labour so the difference wasnot really that great but my wage included room and board. Not luxury living.On bush jobs we worked 7 days a week, cookedour own meals and slept in tents (enveloped in clouds of blood sucking insects).The Irish job was five days a week. Luxury.
There seemed to be much unemployment in and around Bunmahon.So I tried to hire as many men as I could. There was a need for a large crew.Three men doing Turam readings myself and Barney with console another man with lead coiland cable with 100 foot spacingTwo men to guard our grounding rods and motorThree to four men as linecuttersTwo men to patrol the base line and try to stop cattle from eating cable.
I suppose Barney must have seemed unnecessary to our boss in Canada. Explanation… “I need Barney to help me over the stoneand Gorse fence rows…and to watch for charging bulls or hungry boars.” “I need him because it is impossible to run when in fullTuram harness.” Now who could believe that? Barney’s rolewas also to protect me from tics as much as possible. The cattle were infested with them making their noses look likepin cushions. Where did they get the tics? From the tall grass and scrub bushes in the fence rows. Barney was alsoa buffer when confronted with angry farmers…many of whom wanted payment for damaged crops or stunned animals.I do not know if anyone made such payments.So these men earned their money. I did not realize how small was their pay until I started to look at the cost of living and salariesin Ireland in 1960.STATSTICSThe average family income in the 1960’s was around $5,800. The tax rate back then was 20%, and minimum wage was $1.25/hour. Bacon – 79¢ per lb. Bananas – 10¢ per lb.“); display: inline-block; height: 24px; width: 24px; margin-top: -1px; transform: rotateZ(-180deg);”>
Alan's Oeuvre
