LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 281, 21 June 1865, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

MEETING- OF WORKING MEN. A Meeting of the working men of Napier was called by hand-bills, on the evening of Monday last, in Mr Robottom’s long room Shakespeare Road. It was well attenedd and Two of the Representatives for the town, in the Provincial Council—Messrs Buchanan and Edwai'ds, were present. Mr Peter Searles was voted to. the chair, which office he accepted on the understanding that he was not thereby debarred from the privilege of speaking on the questions that would come before the meeting,-the depressed condition of the laborers of the town, and the means to be adopted for the remedy of the c\ il. Mr Searles said that the depression arose from two causes-the cessation of public works, and the competition of the military with the laborer. He pointed out the fact that the great line of traffic-the White Roadwas formed upon the shingle beach, and but sixteen feet in width, so that wheivas often happened, two loaded drays had to pass, one of them was forced to go off the road and get its wheels embedded in the loose shingle and be forced to unload before it can regain the road. It was even dangerous for two'dog carts to meet, there. He likewise referred to the Shakespeare Road, which in one part, just wheie the old contract had finished, was simply a disgrace to the town, and' which only required the employment of a 1 few of the needy laborers of the town for a short time, to remedy, by removing the earth to the bay and so effecting another necessary improvement at the same time—the ; finishing of some partially reclaimed land, and rendering it fit for sale. This reclaimed land, too, might be made it would fetch a hiffii price that could be'turned again in the same way. Then there were otherpartly reclaimed lands hilar the end of the spit, close by some in private hands, valued at £7 10s, per foot, and the Government would surely get the half of that for its property. He would suggest dliat the town members,should try to get £I,OOO, appropriated for reproductive works which would judiciously applied quickly yield .£4,000 and need no further Government aid. Mr Mullapy .-proposed .the following resolution, which was'unanimously adopted. ■ That a .petition, be presented to his Hotidr the Superintendent;, requesting him to use his influence with the Officer commanding, to withhold the troops under ’ his Command from working in the Town of Napier, as being injurious to the working *nen. The following was also proposed by Mr Mullany, seconded by Mr Pritchard, and carried unanimously. - . , ~ . That the town members be requested to communicate with his Honor the Superintendent, to state pur grievances, pn account of the military t beim* employed throughout the town .to the great detriment of the emolument of our daily wages, the Military having little or nothing to provide in the way of substantial provision? whereas we, the working men, have heavy expenses in rent, clothes, fuel, &c., that the military, have not. Not being able, on these terms, to compete with them we pray that you will-redress this grievance So’that the working man may be able to get afair day’s wages for a fair day s work. Air; Buchanan said -he would 1 cooperate .with the other town members in anj movecalculated to forward the object of the meeting, and Mr Edwards likewise promised to do all he could for it. The meeting than separated hoping that the Government would take action in the matter, and among other things endeavor to cure the evil of the putrid swamps,* that have paused so great an amount of sickness and mortality in Napier.