A LETTER FROM SAN FRANCISCO.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8238, 17 September 1906, Page 6

A LETTER FROM SAN FRANCISCO.

A MASTERTONIAN'S EXPERI ENOE. Mr R. Smith, of Masterton who went to San Francisco, in company with Mr J. Ooradine, junr., of Masterton, about two mou.hs ago, writes as follows to his parents:— "San Francisco is a terrible wreck, especially the business part of the town. It is one mass of wrecked buildings. lam starting work tomorrow morning (August 23rd). My mate (Mr Ooradine) started work a few days ago. There is a boom in the carpentering trade here. Enough carpenters cannot be obtained. The wages are from four to five dollars per day. A San Francisco dollar is worth 4s. Briokliiyera and plasterers get seven dollars (28s) per day. We pay fifteen dollars a month here for a room, and our meals cost us from 25 cents (Is Id) upwards. It costs us, roughly, about 30a per week to live. The trade unions are very strong here, and one has to join them whether one wants to or not. Otherwise one cannot get work. It costs from 20 dollars upwards to join a union. There is a strike of some kind every week, and a murder neany every day. The saloons, shops, and theatres ar« open all day. In faot Sunday never reaches this part of the World. 'Frisco is very hilly, and a terribly dusty place to live in on account of the bills of sand arouud about. Ido not care for the plaoe, and intend to return to Masterton again shortly."