THE UNEMPLOYED IN ENGLAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 3

THE UNEMPLOYED IN ENGLAND.

i DETAILS OF A "HUNGER-MARCH." ', R. Powell, leader of the Bradford unem1, ployed who left recently on a "hunger-march," ; made some interesting revelations in speaking . at a meeting in.Bradford recently. He 6aid the failure.of the march was due to' the men who did not intend to look for work and had never looked" for it in their lives, but who joined the march to get a pair of boots. Some never intended to go further than Halifax,, eight miles from Bradford, and refused to eat corned beef arid butter in that town. They also oomplained that the boiled bacon was too fatty. At Hebden Bridge, several complained that they could not eat beef steak puddings. .'The collections at first showed : that the;publiowero in sympathy with them; but, after, crossing into Lancashire, the boxes told their.own tales of what had been done by those who oarried them in the dark. ' At Bury, none of the men. would touch the "skilly" provided, although he found it to be very good. When the men were searched at Bury, it was;a sight to see them handing over money wrapped in paper. Nearing Bolton, some of tho men demanded 16d. per day, although up. to thenthey had had three meals per day and money in. addition. At Manchester, three men were,'drunk. The Salvation Army beds .complained of at Manchester were better than.some of the men had at ■ home. '■■ At Stockport, the secretary was missing. At Stoke, they wont to church, bntsome of the men had been "fresh" the night before, and, when a meeting was called that Sunday, some of them wore not fit to be seen, as the publichouses had just closed. After that, he did not think h,e was justified in appealing to the public for belp, ; and he left them. , -:.. AN EXTRAORDINARY HANDBILL. Arrangements had been made by the organisers ". of the weekly processions of the unemployed to march from Tower Hill to Grosvenor' Square, with a view to holding a meeting in the' latter place, says tho London "Times" of January 8. As tho men assembled on Tower Hill'they were given a'copy of a-handbill, which contained the following :— "The London Unemployed march to the West to se,e their friends. This week we visit Grosvenor , Square. Splendid square. Beautiful houses! And the .residents I Read.— ■ .. ~ Two ..Dukes-of;, Portland-(at No. 3); \ ;,.:. of-Somerset (at.No. 35).' ~" ■.Consuelo Duchess,of Manchester (at No: 5). Marquis of Bath (at No. 29). ; Two Earls—Fitawilliarii (at No. i); • ."'" of. Durham.(at No. 39). ■ , Mary Countess of Harrowby-(at No. 41).,, 1 Six Common or Garden Lords.—Calthorpe (at No. . 38); . Parquhar (at.No. 7); Havershani (at No. 9);. Leigh (at '.N0... 31); Newlands (at. No. 36); Strathconaand Mount Royal (at Nu. 28). ,- ..,'■' ,'■■ ,'■':,-. ; The Hon. Harry Lawson (at No. 87).' Two Baronets—Sir.R. Hardy (at No:"'SO)'; ' A ■■.■-.. •"• Sir Walter Palmer (at No. 50). ' Also:—J. Pierpont Mo'rgant lives at No. 12 and Jack Barnnto Joel at No. Si. Come;to the Unemployed Reception in Gros- :. vehor, Square ' '.

.The'above friends will \appreciate your visit. .'■; Owing to the small number of the unemployed who' assembled it was decided .'to- abandon tho procession. • ; ■ ■ WANDERERS ON THE EMBANKMENT. I '' ir At a meeting of the City Board of Guardians Mr. A. H. Reveley called attention to the' question of the unemployed, and said it was a disgrace to the City pf London that .so many homeless wanderers should: be allowed to assemble, on the Embankment every night as was the case this winter. Mr. Mann Cross : said . that! the! unemployed , assembled on the Embankment every. :night. because, they had a reason for going there. They, were' given, tiokets. for soup, by certain charitable institutions; and they merely met together there for' the purpose of receiving alms. The Rev. dementi Smith questioned the bona fides,, of the 60-called unemployed, for,' when' work was -offered-during.the'.'reoent-fall of snow, many of.'them refused;to tako a. shovel when'it wasplaced in" theirvhands. ■' Mr. Revelev thought the,law should be put in force, and that all found wandering- without any visible means' of subsistence 6honld bo arrested. The Rev. Clementi Smith: I quite agree-with that. The subject then droDDed.