IN SEARCH OF WORK.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4457, 29 June 1893, Page 2

IN SEARCH OF WORK.

A "Swagger's" Journal.

Ik Hardships of Up Country '■'■■''. Trauellers,

< I and my mate started from Mas* terton a fortnight ago in search of Work, and my object at present is to give you an idea of the hardships we experienced, and the alter impossibility of finding any employment. We reaohed THE TADEIIU

the first night and found twenty men encamped in a cottage kept for 'swaggers on a similar expedition. Not having room to sleep there we proceeded as far as Mr Beotham's woolshed, and to our surprise there were ten more travellers there, and we ascertained that llM'-i were six or eight more at the homestead. Thanks to the kindness of Mr Beetham, we were treated in a most lib nil manner, and the swagger would do well if he found every station as

HOSPITABLE AS BRANCEPETH, After partaking of a good breakfast we started for Blaiilogie, some nineteen miles distant. We arrived there about 5 p.m., and found six more travellers encamped there. Next morning wo proceeded to Langdsle and from there to lea. In rotation we visited the following stations: Maunsell's, Oastlepoint, Mataikuaa, Aohanga, eto. We asM for work at all these places and could not obtain any, although our feet were foundered from travelling and sometimes we TASTED NO FOOD. MB 24 HOUHS, sometimes longer. We were able to do work of any description, such as bushfelling, firewood cutting, poisoning or any general station work. It is only fair to mention that the managers of stations cannotfind work for the number of men now seeking employment, Some of the men we met told us they walked

ALLTHE WAY FROM NAPIER and did not get one hour's work, went sometimes two days without food and very often had to sleep out. A good fen stations are blocked, that is they give no food to swaggers and won't allow them to remain for the night. Others again will give shelter but no food, and furthermore the food given in some cases simply consists of a biscuit or two, I can snfely assert tbat in the Wairarapa alone there are some hundreds of able-bodied men travelling the oojntry looking for work who cannot find any, Yet, we are told inMastertcn and other towns of the Colony

" oo up country "

and you will find plenty of work. Now, let those give this advice try the experience themselves and then they can form an opinion of the hardships and misery their fellow men encounter in travelling the country in search of work. Fanoy the statu

' " A POOR SWAGQW " is in after walking 150 or 200 miles, the boots worn off his fact, starvation in most instances his oompanion, aud scanty clothing, although hois willing to work for a miserable pittanci, yet he cannot find any, I would caution WELLINGTON AND OHRISTCHUROU MEN and others not to be utider the false impression that they can And work up country in this district. Hundreds of men can relate the above faots as I have staled. Now

WHAT IS ME OAUIE of this glut in the Labor Market? Truly we have some visitors from Australia but the arrivals should not overstock the market as it is. We are also told to go to the Labour Bureau in I Wellington and they will send us up country to work, They have sent a few, but the majority are totally left unprovided fur. I have known several married men apply at the Labor Department in Wellington and they wore simply told go up country and you will find

"IWIYOFWORK,"

I am ten years in New Zealand, and have travelled a good deal and I never before saw such a number of men out of employment, ft is

SIMPW APPALLING and I consider a direct disgrace to the Manager of the New Zealand Exchequer, The working men who are not? travelling the country in Bearoh of work should now be in a position to know their truest friends, 1 say emphatically, and without fear of contradiction, that the truest friend of the swagger at least, is THE SQUATTER, who, in most cases, supplies him with food and a night's sholter. As far as my experience goes, the condition of the labourer was far better under the Atkinson Ministry than at the present time, THE ATKINSON MINISTRY found work for the majority, while the present Ministry only finds work for a few, I think when the next electiojJ comes on the working man shoull study more carefully his own inters and the interest of the men whoJH his best friends, and I can saH assert he won't find his truest frieH in the present Ministry, I han| penned these few lines for the benefit of my fellow meu, and more espeoiallyJ MY MATES ON THE ROAD, M hoping the condition of the labcjH will receive a turn for the that they will excise the conferred by the Franchise next election in the right directio^H [The above letter was written swagger well-known to us, and in publishing it we have neither added nor altered a single word,—Ed, W.D.T.]