"OUR UNEMPLOYED. ”

Temuka Leader, Issue 250, 3 April 1880, Page 2

"OUR UNEMPLOYED. ”

Contributed.— By Anti-Swagger, The most momentous question of the present day is that of a number of men (consisting chiefly of tap-room loafers and swaggers) who are called “ Our Unemployed.” The t! Paternal Government,” our Benevolent Institutions and our philanthropists are at their wits’ end in trying to provide employment for a large number of men who are “ seemingly ” in want of it. Even all the public journals of the colony are c- rried away with the cry, so our editors write two-column leaders upon “ Our Unemployed,” demanding- work for them. Now, what I wish to point out is : that not one-tvventieth of the men who style themselves “Our Unemployed” really want work. I don’t wish to be hard upon the “ unwashed mass,” nor do I err, (as proof of what I say can easily be obtained) when I aver that remunerative employment can bo got on almost any station or farm in South Canterbury, if those wanting work will but swag the country, ami take work when it is offered them. Hundreds of men do swag it— as the saying- is—but the majority of them demand such an exorbitant wage that no one but a millionaire could afford to pay. Wo hear of cries of “ Work, work for our unemployed,” in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin ; the only place ot importance from whence a cry does not proceed is the misty city of Invercargill, First to tako up the cry was (lie Empire City. The cry for work in Wellington was, alas ! but too true. I happened to bo in Wellington some slmrfc time ago, and the number of men then out of employment was something enormous. The Native Question then absorbing the Government’s attention, recruiting the ranks of the Armed Constabulary was the order of the day,' so those over sft lOin. turned “ sodgers.” Of course, every one is not that height, so after recruiting was finished about 200 men still clamoured for work, and even now I believe that about 300 men have nothing to do. Why this is I cannot tell, although I know that the Government offered work to the mass at road-making, on the Waimate Plains. Of course it could hardly be expected that the “heavy swells” (counter jumpers, billiard-markers, and stewards) would accept work at road - making, although gentlemen—l do not say that our “ heavy swells” are gentlemen: far from it, as the said swells belong to an obnoxious clique called Simbocracy, largely represented in Temuka—have before to-day been employed at more menial employment than road-making. I digress. Next in order in taking up the cry was Auckland, It was simply a cry raised for political purposes. There were a few however who wanted work, but harvest operations stopped their cry. Christchurch had about 300 men put of employment. Through Mr Andrews and Sir George Grey, work was found for them, after a good deal of trouble. Then comes Dunedin— the city of burgoo, whiskey, the Shorter Catechism, and Scotch mists. The unemployed cry in that city was both load and deep, but it was not genuine. Meetings were held, and stump orators delivered hashed up orations, and the papers, evidently believing that the cry was real, took up the cry, and strongly urged upon the Government the necessity of providing work for “ Onr Unemployed.” But what do wo find 1 The Government offer them work at a remunerative wage —about 5s a-day—-and then they indigently refuse to accept work at less than 7s a-day. What impudence ! Sevep shillings a day is not enough for those who vben they were at Homo,in their proper element and place, could not earn more than 14s a-week with the combined efforts of wife and family. Some of the immigrants upon arrival in the colony have a big opinion of their own “ importance and worth,” and lliink that colonists should bow and scrap to (horn because their condition has been bettered by coining to this colony. Ido not mean all immigrants—l moan some. There are respectable, sociable people amongst thorn, and there arc others who formerly belonged (o the scum of English Society, and many if they had their desserts, should have been “ hung by their necks till they were dead.” A good many of the immigrants being brought out arc gaol-birds,some are from the work- and poor-houses, and some are thieves and blacklegs. A nice state of affairs truly ! What a mixture our society is composed of ! Prepossessing, truly ! I now come to Invercargill— also a city noted for ils burgoo-eating and whiskoydilnking propensities. Strange, but (rue, no cry lias been raised there. Why is this ? Perhaps there is plenty of work there,provided at the outset by (he Government at the instigation of that “bane” of (be House of'Representatives, Mr Bain, member for Invercargill. Anyhow, no cry was heard in Southland, so there could not have been any unemployed down there In my next I’ll relate a fow facts given me by a wealthy settler in the Mount Horrible district.