CORRESPONDENCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XI, Issue 1745, 26 June 1895, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[Under no circumstances whatever is the EJitor responsible for matter contained in correspondence.] (to the Ediior.) Sir, —I ’ beg to acquaint you as to”’ the manner men are treated re Thompson’s Track. I am a labouring man, of Auckland, and applied to the Labour Bureau for employment, there was a ballot in which my name came out as one of those selected. I arrived at Te Aroha and .was met by the j Engineer, who put me up at a good hotel, next morning as it was raining hard could not start for work until 12.30, at that time 1 with 4 others started, 3 riding on a dray, 2 walking. We arrived at fod; of hill about 4.30, our swag and tucker was pitched on the ground (raining hard at this time). We (3) took as much as we could carry and was obliged to wade through a swamp over our boot tops before we could get to a track leading to Thompson’s Track. Alter wading through mud and water for 1J mile 3 we came upon a surveyors camp. They very kindly took us in and invited ns to have a warm as we were wet, cold, and hungry, we made some tea and cooked some meat. They said it was no use going further as it would be dark before we reached the other camp. They had room for one in their tents, the others could sleep at the fire of whare, or if prefer, a bed on the floor of the tents. I prefered to sleep on floor of tent, how cold and miserable I felt, God only knows. Next morning we were told (by surveying party) we should have to proceed about 4 miles further on. After wading through mud and slush over our hoot tops we came upon a camp, and at least expected they would ask us to have a drink of tea, hut no, we had to make shift ourselves. We learned that 3 men were required to proceed and 2 were required to remain hehind. I was. select d with another to remain, the foreman or overseer directed us (2 men) to go back a mile and put up at a tent we should find. .We 'had to tramp back to a tent with no fly and only one bed of mongumongu, my companion being .older I gave it to him, I had to sleep on a damp floor, I tried to keep warm, hut it was impossible, owing to intense cold and damp. In the morning I asked my mate (being too ill myself) to go and see the Foreman of Works for orders, he went and came back and said we could not start until Monday and we had better go back to Te Aroha for a week’s supply of tucker. My mate and I started, he with the intention of returning, hut I was so ill and miserable that I determined to leave and never return! —I am, etc., M. Coe.