PLIGHT OF TWO SEAMEN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1900, 7 November 1913, Page 9

PLIGHT OF TWO SEAMEN.

HOW "LABOUR" ASSISTED THEM. There are at least two unionists in Wellington, to-day who regard tho Federation of Labour and rfcs claims to omnipotence as a snare and a delusion. Tho story is as follows. Two seamen in Auckland, found themselves out of emfiloyiuent through their ship Iqing tied up consequent upon the strike. They managed to get south to Wellington, but found their prospects of employment here equally as remote—in they had been from the fryingpan into the lire. In a destitute condition thoy applied fo;r assistance to a wellJcnown religious charitable institution iii the City. When tho. kindly men »vho_ conduct the houso of need hoard their tale of woo, thoy suggested that as their organisation -was affiliated to the Federation of Labour, and 'as this beady was primarily responsible for their lack of employment, it. w<mld bo only logieal to apply'to it for assistance. The men thereupon applied to tho Iteration Executive, and were eventually directed to a certain address. How they mot an individual who provided them with twelve copies Of a Labour newspaper. "Take these and sell them," Ik> commanded, "that will be a 'bob' for yon." Nothing loth the sailors sallied forth to woo. the elusive, penny from the public, but whether it was because they were poor salesmen, or because of their wares, time found them with a full quota of papers, but no money. Weary and dispirited, as 10 o'clock was striking, thoy again presented thomsekes at the hospitable threshold, in Street, and were provided with a bed for the night.