A Trip to Reefton.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 457, 26 March 1890, Page 2

A Trip to Reefton.

[Under no circumstances is the Editor responsible for matter contained in correspondence.]

[to the editor.] Sir, —I do not intend to enlarge on the journey to Auckland ag most of your readers are well acquainted with that part of the country. I arrived in Auckland on Friday, .January 31st, just in time to see the tail end of the Jubilee Festivities.; and left Onehunga on the following afternoon in thes.s. Mahinapoa. I met with three* other Arohaites on board, also bound for the same place. We hud a rather rough passage after leaving the harbour, and we were all Stricken down by the inevitable mal de mer. Heavy head seas continued until we reached the shelter of the high mountains which surround Nelson ; at which place we arrived on Monday, February 3rd, at 10 a.m. We went ashore and bad a look round the town.' I have always beard Nelson spoken of as the prettiest place in New Zealand ; and I thought the people deserved to be called the sleep ost. There seems to be none of that activity and bustle that most of our Colonial cities are proverbial for. Fruit growing and preserving seem to be the principal industry there. We left Nelson at 4 p.m. and arrived at Westport at 10 a.m. on the following day. First Impressions of Westport. The scene that row burst upon us was n very animated one. Trains laden with coal were constantly going up and down the wharf and eve.hono seemed busy. The Union Sieaip Company’s new steam collier — I forget her name—capable of carrying 2000 tons was loading with coal to take to Auckland for the Calliope and other vessels. The town would remind an old Thames man of the Thames in the early days. Hotels appear to predominate over every other business in point of numbers ; but I was disrfppointed in Wesport as far a 3 the chance of profitable employment went. Labour of all kinds is plentiful, and at present there is a probability of a strike, owing to the Government taking over the works at Cape Fonlwihd, and informing the Labour Union of their intention of reducing the wages. The Union has also notified contractors and • others that on and after the 13th inst. 10s per day must be paid and failing an amicable settlement they will strike. From what I hear the men are very confident of being able to enforce their uennn Is as the railway employees, seamen, and colliers will go out with them. I have no doubt the difficulty will soon be settled, but until it is I would advise men in search of employment not to come here to look for it. My shipmates having made up their minds to walk from Westport to Reefton I decided to accompany them, especially as the coach fare was more than we con Id earn in the time it would take to walk. We left Westport at 8 a.m. on Thursday and our road lay for about twenty-six mile 3 along the banks of the Buller, a splendid stream running.through what appears to be a never ending forest. We pot up for the night at Christy’s hotel and our host, learning we were from Auckland Province, enquired very kindly after one of your local celebrities, Sandy Russell. We arrived at Reefton about sunset on Thursday and found it to be a very bnsy little town with a population of about 8000 ; and shortly after our arrival we w< re all astonished to find the place lit up with the electric light. Now, sir, another word re employment. The supply of labour here, as at Westport, is much beyond the demand, partly owing to the suppression of work in the principal mines, caused by the drought which has prevailed here for some time, and partly to a little friction between the railway contractors and employees re wages. The men all knocked off on one section last week, and two young men recently from Te Aroha, who went to work contrary to the warning that was given them, had their tent burnt, down and all that was in it destroyed. I would strongly urge working men to stay away from here until a hotter understanding is arrived at.-~-I am,, etc., Yagiunt, Reefton, March loth, ISOL .