ABSOLUTELY DESTITUTE.

Otaki Mail, 30 January 1922, Page 4

ABSOLUTELY DESTITUTE.

MEN FROM MANGAHAO. Mr W. Murdoch’s complaint to the last meeting of the Palmerston Hospital Board about, flooding Shannon | with unemployed in search of work , at the Mangahao hydro-electric works | when' in reality none was offering,, was substantiated by an official of the Palmerston branch of the Labour | Department. Chatting with a Standard reporter he stated that there 1 was a good deal oil' truth in the statement, in that men from various centres were trekking through to Palmerston North after a fruitless search for work a.t Mangahao. He believed that at the present time there were two or three men from Mangahao knocking about Palmerston North in an absolutely destitute condition. He had accordingly communicated with Wellington asking whether the Government would agree to sending these men to their respective homes. At the present time he had. no authority to do so. In pointing out that the men averred that they had been led to believe that work was awaiting them at Mangahao, he said that there must be confusion somewhere. He was in close touch with Mangahao, he said, and he had no authority to send men there and had never do'ne so unless on the advice of the engineer in 1 charge. He could not understand ! how other towns were, diverting laI hour to Shannon. There must be some misapprehension somewhere.