PUBLIC MEETING.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1134, 30 September 1879, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

A Meeting, called by the Chairman of the Borough Council, m absence of the . Mayor, at the request of some ten persons, stating they were out of employment, was held at Dawson's Hotel, East Hamilton, on Saturday evening last. About sixty persons were present. Mr Potter having been moved into the Chair, said, he was very sorry to preside at such a meeting, because he knew, to his personal knowledge, that a large number of men, m Hamilton, were out of employment whose labour could be advantageously employed on the construction of the Thames- Waikato Railway, if the Government could be induced to at once take advantage of the state of the labour market. Mr S. Coombes proposed, and Mr Mason seconded the following resolution:—"That this meeting recognise, with sorrow and anxiety, that there is, m Hamilton, a large number of the working classes out of employment, many of them married men with families, and pledges itself to use all possible means to procure employment." Mr J. K. McDonald said, a large number of persons were out of employment, and as the borough was out of funds, the only way was, to sret the Government to proceed with the Thames railway which had been voted by the House, and might have been, and ought to have been, started long since, if the wishes of the Assembly had been attended to by the Government. Money was so scarce m the colony that the farmers could not employ labor, and there was such a dread amongst capitalists that the Land Tax would be raised by the Grey Government, that capitalists refused to invest. Mr Mason said that seven weeks ago he drew attention to the fact that work was scarce, and was then advised to call such a meeting as the present one. He started a requisition, but was told to let it lay by till after the election was over. Now they had to do what they should have done long ago. Mr Vialou spoke as a working man, for he had worked hard m his day ; m fact, they were all working men. He was much grieved when he heard this meeting was called. It was a most important matter to further the interests of the working nian, if interference was necessary, and he thought, if the occasion required it, it might have emanated from the Borough Council, without calling a meeting of this kind. This meeting was calculated to do a great injury to Hamilton. He knew many there who had homesteads of their own, and they might depend upon it, they were needlessly injuring their own property by getting up sensational meetings of this land. He never was m any place where the working man had a better chance than m Waikato, and Hamilton m particular. Numbars Avho came here as immigrants three years ago, now hud their own homesteads. It was a grievous thing to get up sensational meetings of this kind. He thought the the railway works should be xirged upon the Government, but this was not the way to do it. There were but few working men m this . district m a state of poverty. They had all along been getting high wages, and people should lay by for a rainy day. There was general depression everywhere, and not a tradesman

who did not feel it. Where, hoAve ver, was there a distressed man? Avho amongst those present Avas m distross? When times became bad, tho proper way was to take a little lower wages. 'Ho was no advocate of low Avuges, but if a reduction were made th^re would be more employment. Farmers could not nflord to pay the wages now asked. A lower rate of wages would moan cheaper food and clothing- to the working man, and more general prosperity. The rpsfolution was then put. About .twenty persons held up their hands m favour oil it, aud one, Mr William Colcman, against, some forty persons taking no part m the matter. The motion was then declared carried. Proposed by Mr Keep, seconded by Mr William Colcman, " That this meeting considers that the railway between Hamilton and the Thames, sixteen miles of which has been surveyed and Avorking plans prepared, and the money voted for • the purpose, should be pushed forward mi mediately, that the labour now available may be employed." — Carried. Proposed by Mr McDonald, and seconded' by Mi* O'Connell, " That a copy of the foregoing resolution be forwarded to the Members for Waikato and Waipa, that they may lay the case before the notice of the Assembly." — Carried. • The meeting, which was carried out m a very orderly mauncr, then separated.