NOTES BY THE WAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4471, 15 July 1893, Page 2

NOTES BY THE WAY.

i)ur"Swagger "Reaches Ektahmu, (Our Swagger IsH^fl|ttfr Jack: Got as farasEketahimaat. last, and pretty hungry too, no.feed ' to bo got between Maatcrton aud / Eketahuna without the money. Frauds : That's right old man, no squatters on the road but small farmers generally. Scandics and the poor fellows cannot afford to give a man a meal, ■' Jack : The squatters are our best friends aud were it not for them what would the poor "'ajAj. do but starve. '..-W

Francis : Notwithstanding that they are maligned and over taxed by the present --Government, and the Government in all oases should represent the people. Jach: Just so, but do the present Government represent the people, I think not, old man, according to what I hear in all directions. • Francis: We are tired of this sort of thing. I think we will go as far as Pahiatua and try to get on the Railway Works thero. Jach : Although we liava letters to the resident engineer, where is he to be found ?

Francis: We will go and see him anyway, I suppose he. will put us to work as soon as we sec him.

Jack : Some chaps told us they had to wait for a week or two before they were put on, and having no money the poor fellows had to starve/■: Francis: No squattertjyK%j{9 • huna district; that accoaflftTrorut. The word squatter should mouß with plenty of tucker and a shakedown.

Jack: Throw away them big terms, speak plainly. Do you think we will do any good on the Government railway works. Francis: According to what I see and hoar we will do no good, but the thing is how can we get on, unless there is a vacancy in some gang or yon have six or sevenmen with you on the spot, you cannot get on.

Jack : Is that a faot, What a difference between the unemployed work under the Atkinson Government and the present Government,

Francis: Did you work under the Atkinson Ministry on unemployed work, and if so, bow did you get on? Jack: Splendid, As soon as you wore sent to work, you got on next day and no delays, We were supplied with tents, tools, and made good wages. Married men got 5s a day and single men 4s, and more than that the then Government paid our fares by boat to the work, and did not keep, fare out of our next pay. In foot we were treated as Christians, not as slaves,

Franca: In my travels 1 just heard the same, I hear from a good many men here, that they don't make tuoker on the railway works, and work jolly bard for nothing,

Jack: I heard the same, The Engineer has a good deal to do with it, he givea tho same price for shifting rock and clay, and good money while the receipt of nothing, In faot the men are getting disgusted with the whole affair, and if the whole stato of affairs was made knpwn, no man would go to work there, A good many are leaving at present. Francis: You told mo before that the present administration are no friends to tho working man. Jack : Can't you seo through it now, old man. To whom did you give your vote at the last election?

Francis: To Mr Hogg, and I was so eager to have him returned that I tore the paper iu scratching out Mr BeethamVname. More fool I was, 'I only regret that Mr Deetbam is not going to stand at the next battle, Jack : I wish to goodness he did. He would have no trouble in being returned next time. Look at the work the Beethams gave some time ago when Annedale station was oleared of bush.

Francis : Plenty of cheques then, old boy. I can quite understand all now, and the working men are quite sensible of the state of affairs that exists now, and they can draw a parallel between the present administration and the Atkinson, and as far as I can learn they are quite with tho present Ministry; fßf"