Starving Man Leaves Pathetic Last Letter

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 412, 21 July 1928, Page 13

Starving Man Leaves Pathetic Last Letter

Search for Work Ends In Roadside Death MESSAGE TO MIGRANTS WHANGAREI, To-day. “Think twice before leaving Home. It is nearly a month since 1 touched food; I have tramped out in all the wet weather, without shelter. I don’t know how much longer I will last —another unfortunate victim awaiting that friend Death. . . This touchingly human message was left by Dominic Nolan, an Irish immigrant, aged 49, who gave up the struggle with life about the beginning of May, and lay down on the roadside near Whangarei to die. He was found yesterday afternoon with a blanket beneath him and another over him. Near him was a pitifully meagre swag containing little beyond an enamel mug, a watch-chain, and a worn purse in which was Is ljd. Two sealed letters addressed to his sister in Ireland were found on him, with the request for them to be posted, and another missive, addressed generally to New Zealanders, and incidentally to aspiring English and Irish migrants, was left unsealed.

His letter, which was read at the inquest this morning at the direction of the acting-coroner, Mr. L. J. Brake, J.P., was written in the following strain:

“Dear New Zealanders. —Blame not the poor immigrants in this country who have been shipped over here in tho last few years—allured by the dazzling advertisements in England, glowing pictures depicting scenes of the Dominions abroad, displaying acres and acres under tillage, cow farms and milking galore; factories in full swing; in fact, work for all — shortage of labour. And what is the result? “They have filled the Dominions with labour, overcrowding the markets and making tramps of the majority. Even the man who was born here, and should have had preference in getting an existince in his own country, has to swag it as well as the newcomer. . . . “After the war England, like other countries, lost a lot of her trade. Shipping magnates became uneasy; unemployment was acute. A scheme was put into action manoeuvred by the Governments inclusively to get rid of some of England’s unemployed and assisted passages were placed within the reach of the majority. Then shipping was busy again. They were in their glory. Shijjs were manned again for overseas, but unfortunately it was human freight this time. So that was the alternative. “I am in this country a few years. I paid my passage in full; my passport will show that. I did a little work here on some jobs, but they were only temporary. I am out of work, and when deprived of work as a means of existence my conscience will not allow me to beg. Many poor fathers with young families cannot afford to give bread away; and why deprive the little ones? “No; a thousand times no! So I would advise aspirants at Home whose ambitions are for other climes to stay at Home. You do not know what awaits you abroad. Think twice before leaving Home. It is near a month since I touched food, and tramped out in the wet weather without shelter. I do not know how much longer I will last; the roads are crowded with swaggers. “I swagged it myself from Wellington to the farthest point north. Some poor men have worked for bread alone. The employers are reaping the harvest, but you qroor unemployed New Zealanders, do not blame us poor immigrants. Throw the blame in the right direction. ‘‘Good-bye all—another poor victim waiting for that friend Death. “English and Irish papers please copy.” Evidence at the inquest showed that Nolan had not been heard of for about three months, up till when he had been forking as a farm labourer at Kowal He was presumably well educated, and was reputed to have wealthy relatives in Ireland. The verdict was that he met his death from exposure and want of proper nourishment while sleeoing out on the side of the Otaika Road on the night of a date unknown, but somewhere about the beginning of May,