THE UNEMPLOYED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 262, 29 July 1908, Page 7

THE UNEMPLOYED.

YEstERDAY'S DEMONSTRATION. CROWD AT THE STATUE. CtiMfiADE DOWDALL'S SPEECH. ' "The day has arrived," cried Comrado Dowdall, in accents heavy with 'fato x "when you shall make your demands, to the'present Government to alleviate the sufferings that now exist in tho citjr of Wellington and all other parts of this Dominion." A larger crowd tliaii usuai, of employed, unemployed; and maybe unemployable, stood round the Statuo yesterday and listened to the orator with exclamations of assent and dissent. The list of unemployed which Comi'ade Dowdall Waved with dramatic gestures represented, ho said, some 300 men, on whom some''4oo or SOO children woro dependent. These numbers did not represent the total Unemployed in New Zealand. It must not bo thought, because most of the crowd beforo him weroi well dressed, and thero were no carewrinkled women or bai'e-footed children visible, that the destitution in this-city-, was not as acute as in ,any other part of tho world. . Measures of Relief, ' - - The Press had tried to thfow cold water on.; the demonstration, proceeded Comrade Dowdall, but yet they Were told that' tho City Council was prepared to spend "a'given sum of money on local works, and Mr. HallJones had said that there were vacancies for over 600 men on tho Government works. Hawould suggest- that every- unmarried man out of employment should-take Mr. HallJones at his word, —(hear, hear)—but ho would also point out how hard it was for married men with families to'be sent' dreas of miles from their homes, aild to have the! expense of keeping up'two : establish-■ merits, ■. / .. ' ■ . Effects of Immigration. "I am Sorry the ship_ with 200 immigrants On hoard does not arrive to-day instead of to-morrow, 1 ' • said Comrade Dowdall, ■ ."because this meeting would bo an object; lesson them Oil,landing." He Would make it his business to visit that ship when she arrived, and ask for copies of- the pamphlet issued by the High Commissioneri to. jilduce emigrants to cortte to this country. He ;was prepared to_ contradict the majority of ; the statements in tho pamphlet. A ,recent arrival handed the orator a copy of-the .booklet,; but ComradovDowdall - Wjia too preoccupied to mako use of it., Tho Government, he proceeded, had said would not go to tho Main Trunk lin6. 1 ' A Voice i Gas is ho good' up, j;here.: The orator drew successive - pictures of four-roomed cottages' at £1. a ' week, and -co-operative labour under an engineer whoso decision was final at the end. of. the day. How wotild_ they: like to bo treated worso by -tho engineer than'tho'horses,',on tho plant ?_ Ho would couviiVco anyman,' in I a tour of inspection', that conditions in, this city could not bo equalled in any other part of tho .earth. Thero wore working men here who did not get two lhoals a day.' When they saw ladies riding down those streets in i their carriages, merchants "in their motor- ' oars, and the maghifioentljuildings raised by workmen's labour,', did it' .aiot cross their minds what lay behind—widows crowding tho houso with lodgers,, and..having. their- rent raised in consequence, women chring their hearts' out, and clnldren ' crying for bread ? Yet hundreds of immigrants were being assisted into New Zealand/ believing that conditions'were better hero than in any other part of the world. 'Men who were not used to the lifo nbt-i compete'with hardened "navvies" on tho Main Trunk .lino. They, could not mako Wages tit 1 tho Work. If tho City Council would carry out the large works already on tliof Estimates, giving preference of employment' to married men with'families, that would: in SOmo measure meet the, ease. ■■ ■ ... -vAn Interlude. A photographer on-a van camo.'.withinlMr. Dowdall's field of vision at this moment, and the champion of the ..working man suspended his eloquence for two minutes, and. held himsolf ill. an attitude calculated to expi'oss tho energy of his convictions'and the dignity'of his cause. An irreverent one exhorted him to "smilo at it,"-but Mr. Dowdall took no heed. Tho memorial ho put the following motion to the"erowd : ' "That this meeting condemns tho' ac-' tion of tho Govornmont :in advertising in ■ tho English papers reports qaiotilated to. give a wrong impression t-o intending omigrants, and call upon them to eeaso .. ' . using public funds to asfeist emigrants -to como to.this country, when there is not sufficient employment for'-those ial- ':. roady here." ' ■ ; No Amendments. "If you aro in favour of tho motion, up with, your hands," called Comrade Dowdall. ."Is there' any chance .of putting an amendment?", asked an'excited man who had; been anxious all tho time to say a word on tho other side. . ;i , ■••'"Come-up hero:and shift this Awaster,'."' shouted Comrade Dowdall. A constablo advised , tho man to be quiet J for a moment. Ho and was called , a tool, and uglier names. " Tho amendment 1 was -'disallowed,' on the ground that tho would-be mover had bi?cn drinking. Hands want up for tho motion. y i , Tho following 'resolution was also'passed: "That in tho opinion of this meeting'' the Govornment should; take' immediate „ . stops to alleviate tho distress and suffering in Wellington and other partsW the Dominion, caused through- lack of cmployment, : and• this....meeting considers that tho sending-of married men, hundreds of tnilos away from their homes 1 oil to railway construction';' Works, will : not alleviate the suffering, because these mon.would have to maintain two homes .whon, owinfe to the high'rateV of living,••>;thoy can hardly support one."; ■ ; .

THE PROCESSION. \ : Tile question of forming a procession'was put to.the orowd, who gleefully .declared for tho demonstration. "Sbine of you won't opon your mouths," said the prime mover, "but if you get enough encouragement perhaps you will follow up behind.". , About sixty men formed up in a ■ rough order, and several hundred, most of them lookors-on, followed at the-rear and , side. Comrade Dowdall, the written resolution in one hand, and lists of unemployed in the other,, led off tho procession. "Mr. H. A. Campbell, organiser of tho Political Labour 1 League, supported him. Leading trades unionists woro conspicuously absent. The procession marched by way of Panama Street and Lambton Quay to Parliament Hduse, singing ■ 'Wll hang Joey Ward to a sour applq. tree," and amusing itself ' with sallies, such as, "Who are we going •to interview?"— "Joseph." "What aro wo after?"—" Work." "Were aro wo now?"—"In .'God's Own' country."

At tho entrance-to Parliament House a large crowd had gathered. ; Inspector Ellison and a number of ■ police were present, but the proceedings were quite good humoured and orderly, Mr. Campbell,. speaking from tho steps of Parliament; Houses,, declared that this was no crowd of chronic unemployed but a mob of intelligent men who were prepared to tako work'if it was offered tb them Tho demonstration proved' that this country was not onjoying the great prosperity sonjo talked about. Ho. appealed to tho men,to be orderly and well-ljehaved. r/ About twenty nieivwero picked out to enter the House as a deputation,, and the crowd outsida dispersed.