BAD TIMES AT HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 77, 17 August 1912, Page 8

BAD TIMES AT HOME.

PEOPLE GOING AWAY. "The life of the working man in Great Britain is a hard struggle, and labor conditions are so bad at present that those who are able to do so leave the country," declared one of a large party of immigrants who arrived in Auckland from Great Britain the other day by the steamer Essex. "Yes, labor troubles are responsible in a great measure for the unsatisfactory state of affairs. Strikes—big and small—have taken place in all parts of Eugland and Scotland, and labor has been generally upset. The working man was never well off at Home, but with these continual strikes 'his lot is ever harder." "What is the working man's chief grievance?"

"Small pay and long hours," was the prompt reply. ,'Take the general laborer, and, by the way, there are quite a number of laborers on tlie steamer. Now, the general laborer in the Old Country works ten hours every day, and in most eases he receives 3s Od for his clay's work. And that is only one class of worker. There are thousands of men and women—yes, and young folk—in the larg centres of Great Britain working from early morning until late at night for very little pay. It is a great struggle for the working man, and it is impossible for him to save a penny.*'

The new arrival added that the slackness of employment was particularly noticeable in the large cities, and in several of them factories—especially jute factories—had been closed down " some time before the Essex left England. The building trade was also poor in many parts «f the country and carpenters were experiencing difficulty in obtaining constant employment. '"Yes, they are having bad times at Home," ho added. "Everyone who can is going away from Great Britain."