"SOMEONE HAD BLUNDERED."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 267, 4 August 1908, Page 7

"SOMEONE HAD BLUNDERED."

Everywhere was evident a state of absoluteunpreparcdness. to deal with the fifty unfortunate human beings that had been sent up,from,Christchurch that'day. There were not. nearly: sufficient tents to go round, and . nothing else was ready. Someone had blundered. Hints dropped by bewildered Departmental understrappers afforded a clue. The Labour Department, in obedience to instructions from headquarters had sent the men to find employment on the co-operative works, but the Public AVorks Department, m- whose control construction of the Midlaud Railway is placed, was totally unprepared for such an,invasion as resulted. Its-, supplies of tools;': tents;'and -other material -! are ; requisitioned only onco a month, and ' naturally-no large 1 reserve store is retained for .emergencies, .But-political behests niuat npeds .be executed,; and so. overy effort; wasoxorted to cope with the situation. • Not only wero_tho CO men already on the spot to be'provided: for, but intimation had been received that further: batches had been authorised by tho Labour Department to proceed to Broken Rivor on the two following days. .... .. .... ■ , . - WAIfiNC IN THE SNOW. iThe-wholo thing was a ghastly bunglo, and ' the lmmediato suffering entailed by flie consequences foil upon the fiftyi wet and shivormg ■ wretchos who .waited numbed, hungry, and despairing in tho snow to learn their iato; Ultimately wo wero told that no tents could bo provided for sleeping quar- - ters that night, but that we should have to'""-, camp in two parties in two unoccupied houses : a couplo of miles out in tho vicinity of our ' prospective employment. Waggons were provided to convey our swags and tools thither. Then began tho great troki Firsttho storekeeper was visited and provisions ordered,- each man, being required to sign a; form authorising tho storekeeper to receive the amount of the debt so contracted out the man's first pay, priority, however, being ob - served for one-half the earnings duo to relatives, and for tho" cost of travelling expenses, tools, otc.,' supplied by tho Depart- " ment, tho-stipulation" also being mado that no single order would be recognised for any amount in excess of £3. As was to bo expected the.cost of provisions was high, and oho was. surprised to discover that a supply of the very plainest necessaries for himself and mate, jsuch as tea, sugar, broad, bacon, potatoes, billies, mugs, knivos and forks, salt, pepper, etc., ran into something like £110s. ' - ■ A ALONG THE FROZEN ROAD, Our marketing completed, we set out along the frozen rood for our quarters'for the night. Of,tho two deserted houses, one contained fivo rooms, and the other' four, .Thirty men ihe'rdeu in one, and twenty in thqother: Each had ' a • kitchen, another room. Svitji a fire'place; arid two other'little apartments. It was-growing dusk when wo arrived, and the scone, in our house beggared _ description. no, furniture of any kind, save tho wooden frame 1 of ah old double bed which some youths wero hacking* to pieces for firewood. The place was'plunged in gloom by tho acrid smoke arising from the fireplaces. Sonio men sitting on their swags with their facos in thoir'hands cowered silently in tho corners, others roamed about smoking, spitting, -swearing. Tho floors were littered with desolated humanity. Some were boiling billies, others were munching forlornly at liunks "of dry, stalo bread. A fow candles mado tho gloom the more depressing. Snow . brought in upon the men's boots melted in' ; muddy pools, and tho wind out and lashed the faces of overyono whenever tlio door was opened. . . . ' . ' - SATURNALIA OF MISERY. It was a saturnalia of the direst misery. Some of the men to escape.from- the horror of'it all betook themselves and thoir belong, ings to an old tool shed at tho rear of-tho . cottage, and there attempted to Bleep with tho falling of the bitter night. All had satisfied tho cravings of hunger, The youth with the mouth organ endeavoured to drivo .away dull caro, Others, squatting on their haunches, played oards dejectedly. The pun-' gent smoko penetrated everywhere,- and every-; One coughod interminably. Sleep on tho bare); ,-boards was impossible, and throughout tho:' liight thero: was a continual tramping to and - fro of unfortunate' creaturos endeavouring vainly to find warmth somowlioro, somehow. ,Morning dawned at last with a fresh fall, of; snow, on tho ground. Tents arrived for; somo, whilo those loss fortunate were in-, structod; to remain at tho: cottages until supplies should bo received, i Forty' men arrived two days later,- and theso also, were sent to share tlio miseries of tho qottfages, ■ anil' -would bo required to: so remain for at least four' days longer.;; In.tlio moantimo very fow were provided with work, and most of us: were', literally;: qatihg our heads off. ! Those who woro supplied with tents went; out'to sites,. $aeh;tont rc--' commodates two- mon, and a firoplaco and a chimney' fashioriod from, galvanised iron ara attached, tho parties comprising gix- mon.; : Tho tents are pitched-in groups of throe. ,Tho,framework: is put together by Departmental iparpentors, and the tents erected over- it." On;ing, "howover, to the delays in getting the timbor on tho ground, .not all.'; of tlio available tents \yero pitched that night. '• - Tho Department' also supplies fire-. wood at 16s. per load '(of about hair a cord), aiid in many instances' this' could not bo delivered. that.night,.... ,- . . ; : . INTENSE! COLD, •Thero is no doubt 'about tlio hills, and thoso who slept in fireless / tents endured suffering - oven greater, than that entailed by ; -a' sojourn at tho cottages. Tlio framework* 'of the tents and tho' stitches being wet, tho tents themselves damp and being pitched oil ground partly covered with snow, rendered tho situation the more grievous. A hard frost sot in'that ■ night, and in . tlio ' morning tlio-' moil's moustaches -iwere frozen stiff. Their breathing had formed littlo. ■patches of "ico on the blankets near their -Mouths. Tho interior of tho tents and tho framework wero covered with hoar frost, and their boots were frozen to tho flqor,, Strong, able-bodied-young men crept about as though stricken with'(ague. The plight of tho old men can bo but' dimly imagined. Owing to tlfo unexpectedly largo number'of applicants' fqr work it was impossible for tho overseer to point out to all tho parties whore they wero to commenco operations during the next" day,'and - sQ'another day was wasted. Tho mon who arrived ou Thursday were to start ;to-day (Moujliiy).; It is doubtful whether in many cases the'first month's earnings will cOver oxponsos. Numbers, after spending ono night in tho place, returned to town next ."morning, j Several, of course, were unable *-t thoii .liabilities,', andjtha «&».

' icepors subsequently refused credit in numerous cases-to tho further discomfort of the men concerncd. THE ONLY REMEDY. Thoro is only one remedy for tho state of , things described, and it is ono that the public in tho interest of common humanity should insist upon tho Stato applying before another workless man is permitted to go, or be sent ' by l tho • Labour Department to Broken River. Habitable accommodation should bo provided for his reception. \ If the / Public Works, staff on tho aground-is insufficient co-operative workers already there , should be omplo.ved to ercct tents 'and have everything ready so that the new-comers could, settlo down to earning wages , without delay. Dry .timber and dry tents only should be pormitted to bo used, *and';siipplios of firewood should bo readily accessible. ■ All.of theso'thmgs aro essential ill tho wini tor time, a.nd especially in regions where .climatic rigours of exceptional severity pre- ■■■.'■ vail. :