GREAT DISTRESS IN WELLINGTON.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1247, 26 June 1880, Page 3

GREAT DISTRESS IN WELLINGTON.

The Wellington correspondent of the Auckland Star draws a very dark picture of the distress prevailing in the Empire city. He writes: — " The distress in Wellington is increasing-. Evide- tly dreadful suffering must occur in the winter months. Within twenty-four hours of the Norfolk's arrival at the wharf some passengers applied to the Benevolent Institution for relief. Many of the passengers who came to Wellington are said to have thrown up respectable situations at home A petition is being signed by working men, to be sent to Washington, asking 1 the American Government to provide passages to the State. Yesterday the Corporation discharged a number of men employed on road works, on the ground that in consequence of the discontinuance of eubsidies expenses must be curtailed. Many of these men have families, and amongst the discharged who wereworking at ordinary navvy work for a mere pittance are some professional men. The iron fountlry, which used to employ a hundred men, has now only twelve hands. Meanwhile the funds of the Benevolent Society ara exhausted, and the Government declines to come to their aid. The only thing cheap hero is mutton, legs of which from the boiling-down establishment are hawked about the streets at a shilling each, and at one place at ninepence. I fear there wijl be terrible distress in Wellington thisr winter. Let Auckland working men husband all their resources, and practice temperance and industry aud thrift, lest they have to experience similar hardships to what I see hare every day. I ha""c seen more signs of absolute distitution within a few weeks in Wellington than I had seen durinsr nearly twentyfive years previously in the Colonies.

The first day Artenus Ward entered Toledo, U.S. travel worn and seedy, he said to an editor who was in the street, " Mister, -where could I get a square meal for 25 cents ?" He was told ; and then he enquired, "I say, mister, where could I get the 20 cwte?"