The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY WORKING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1884. THE UNEMPLOYED.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 35, 9 January 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY WORKING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1884. THE UNEMPLOYED.

The subject of the unemployed has caused some little discussion in Christchurch, the outcome of the agitation being’ that the position of affairs is not so gloomy as the reports pictured them. True, there are many men out of employment in the City of the Plains ; nevertheless, very little cause is given for imagining that much more poverty than usual is to be found in that centre of a large agricultural and pastoral district. Laborers- in this Colony have hitherto had the whip, hand of their employers—especially during harvest-time, and there are very many of them who depend, in a great measure, on the good wages they make in the shearing and harvest seasons for their support during the year; while less-provident men spend, in a short time, all they have earned during the busy months. It is those men, principally, united with leaders of “ loafing ” proclivities, who are, no doubt, the head and front of the agitation of the unemployed brigade. A Christchurch paper says : — “ The other day we heard it shrewdly asked, at a meeting of the unemployed, ‘ What good has the last loan done

the working-men ?’ The speaker was complaining, we fancy, not so much of the amount of the loan, or )the mischievousness of, borrowing the three millions being spread over three years instead of one. What he meant to say was, ‘ What is the good of a million a year to the working men ? If you are going to borrow at all, borrow three millions or five millions in a lump, and spend it in a lump too, and then we may all stand a chance of making something out of it.’” Now, it is very evident that the only object of men of the stamp referred to is to live comfortably—no matter whether they work or not — at the expense of the country, and it is quite time that those “work” agitators were taught such a lesson as would remain impressed on their memories —so long as they are capable of leading their fellows astray. We are no advocates for the adoption of the grinding process,—it would please us to hear of men working contentedly at a fair rate of wages ; but what must be objected to by all persons capable of giving the subject an impartial consideration is the propagation of mob-rule—more especially in a young Colony. We take it that farmers operating on small holdings—such as " cockatoos " — have for many years been far less independent, and not earned as much money as harvesters and shearers ; while owners of stations, as well as agriculturalists, with small capitals, experienced a great difficulty—through the high rate of labor —in making two ends meet. The retiring Mayor of Christchurch, Mr. Rcddenklan, “treated the unemployed to some very sensible advice the other day, upon their requesting him to telegraph to the Governmen their refusal to accept work at 4s. fid. a day. He told them he was sorry they had come to such a determination, and said that all classes were suffering. Many tradesmen were not earning more than the sum which they turned up their noses at; men of property were not only not making money, but actually losing what they had looked upon as a provision for their old age. He thought, therefore, that the unemployed ought to take what they could get, and make the best of it.” This advice would certainly, we opine, have been taken by men had they felt the pangs of hunger, and we think that the offer of the Government could not be fairly objected to, for the reason that it would not be likely to find laborers on public works doing more than may be considered an equivalent for the rate of wages given them, and they could leave off passing their time away with a pick and shovel as soon as more remunerative employment came within their reach. As we have contended on previous occasions, the stupid manner in which the details of the immigration scheme have been carried out has been the means of landing many a “ loafer ” and other useless creature in this Colony, and now the Government is expected to find employment, at a high rate of wages, for men who cannot earn their salt. Undoubtedly, there are some worthy men who cannot always find employment in this Colony, but the rate of wages offered by the Government should “ keep the wolf from the door,” and an industrious man would be glad to accept the offer in preference to " loafing ” about the streets of a city, At the present price of land in this Colony, and the low figures cereals and other products are generally quoted at, little room is left for an employer to pay a high rate to laborers for wages, and there is no disguising the fact that some change will have, ere long, tc take place in this respect, It is far from pleasant to repeatedly hear the cry, " Give us work I " still, when agitators—wouldbe politicians—are found wasting their time in getting up an agitation for high wages, in the place of “ taking what the gods offer,” it must be concluded that hard work and the disaffected have fallen out long ago, and that there is far less poverty permeating the ranks of the pavement patrons than they strive to bring forward to secure, if possible, public sympathy. In this Colony, the great drawback to men looking for work is, undoubtedly, the high rate of railway and steamers’ fares, and they cannot get from place to place readily ; nevertheless, it appears that this is not now a serious matter in Canterbury, for in Akaroa alone—as we learn from a letter of a settler in that place, which appeared in a contemporary—there is quite sufficient work, at a fair rate of wages, for all the unemployed in Christchurch. This may, certainly, only last for a month or two; but it would, of course, be far better for the unemployed to take that work than to idle their time away in the “City of the Plains.” There are some men, however, who cling to city life and its pavement attractions—who have not the spirit to go forth and do a hard day’s work, and it must be presumed that from the ranks of this class stands forth the agitator—whose life-blood is partially kept in circulation by excitement — “ for the rights of the working-classes 1” The movement savours much of the Chartist or “ equality ” principle, and it is highly necessary that some measures should be adopted —not only to find employment for the willing worker, but to place the gutter agitators under the watchful care of the inspectors of nuisances.

Cast. Kbbb.—A man, in all the acceptations of the word, was called to his last ac. count shortly after noon yesterday. Captain Kerr died of cancer; the painful operation of last September did nothing but bring home the fatal disease. He was of a well-known family in Gloucestershire, many of whose members have deserved well of their country, and among whom may be numbered Lord Alcester, oi Egyptian fame, and Lord Mark Kerr, late Commander-in-chief of the Bombay Army. Captain Kerr has resided, since leaving the Navy, in many parts of the world; but it is only withiu the last two years that he took up his residence in this town, He has, us all know, devoted his time and abilities to writing for the public good in the papers of this place, and his clear incisive style will be much missed among us. He never shirked stating the truth at whatever risk to himself, and did his utmost to remedy any popular abuse that might be brought under his notice. An honest, straightforward, open enemy, and a staunch, warm friend, he will be much missed by all classes, and those who have seen him during the last weary four months must admire the pluck and fortitude with which he bore Bufferings which, fortunately, full to the lot of few mortuls. It is satisfactory to know that Capt. Kerr, true man as he was, died in the Christian faith. The Bev. Mr. Cocks, Mr. Hill, and Archdeacon Williams, clergymen of the Episcopalian Church, attended him; and yesterday, shortly before his death, he sent for the Ven. Archdeacon, who administered the last religious rites. He leaves a widow and two little girls, besides a large circle of friends, to mourn his loss. The funeral will take place to-day, the procession leaving the late residence of the deceased gentleman at 2 p.m. The Rev. Mr. Hill, an old fellow-passenger of the deceased, will conduct thefuneral service.