LOOKING FOR WORK

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 182, 29 April 1922, Page 8

LOOKING FOR WORK

FROM LEEDS TO WELLINGTON EXPERIENCES OF TWO ENGLISH LADS i That something is awry with the world at the present time is the avowed conviction of Harold Lav/ and Richard Tracy, the two young stowaways who arrived in the Dominion by the S.S. Matakana this week. The lads, as reported in Thursday's “Dominion,” appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., on Wednesday morning, and were ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months. In conversation with a Dominion reporter yesterday, the youthful Englishmen told the story of the trials and tribulations tlrjy underwent in search of work in England before they summoned up courage to stow away on the.Matakana at Cardiff on March 16 in order to reach a country where there was a chance of honestly earning their daily bread.

Depression Caused by the Coal Strike. “I am 21 years of age,” said Harold Law, who acted as spokesman for the pair, “and I served in the Great War in Italy for twelve months, and afterwards on the Western front, finishing up at Cologne four months after the armistice. On my discharge from the Army, I secured employment as a dental mechanic in Leeds, but during the coal strike in 1921 business fell off to such an extent that I lost my position. I tried hard to get employment. but things were at _a standstill, and practically no business of any kind was doing. In order to buy food, I was compelled to pawn my clothes, and this went on until I had nothing left to pawn. A Modern Gipsy. “Then, like thousands more at the time, I was forced to leave the city of Leeds, and take to the King’s highway. This was at the end of July, in 1921. Though I tried my hardest to get work, I was eight months on the road, and in that time tramped 1500 miles. We slept under hedges and haystacks, and lived as best we could. “We were not the only pedestrians jogging along the highway at that time,” proceeded the young Englishman. “Tilings were so bad in the country that thousands of men, women, and children were homeless, and were compelled to live a nomadic life like gypsies, moving from place to place, and living from hand to mouth.” They had to keep a strict look-out far the police, declared the young stowaway, as there was a common saying in England that if you were found tramping the country you would be given six months, whereas if you stole a watch you would be let off. “It took me some time,” said Harold Law, “before I could bring myself to beg far food at the doors of houses, but I eventually was forced to it. The poor-houses are not desirable places of abode in England. I and my vagabond companion were lodged in tho poor house at Hereford, but we found conditions so usavoury that we escaped by Scaling the walls, and set out on the road once more.” A Fifteen Hundred-MHe Tramp. “■What parts of England did you tramp over?” asked the Pressman. “Well,” replied Law, “we set out from Leeds and made our way to Sheffield. From that city wo took the main London road, and eventually reached the Metropolis. Being unsuccessful in obtaining work of any kind in London, we set off, again for Bnmingham, and from thence walked to Stratford-on-Avon, and from this historic town made our way to Manchester, and subsequently to Liverpool. Then we started on a long 200-mile tramp to Barry, .in South M ales, averaging twenty-six miles a day, begging our food on the way. found the going verv hard, as the general depression had caused the working people to be very poor, and tho rich people were very unsympathetic. I had had nothing to eat for three days when we at length reached Cardiff.’.’ 1 Cotton Mills Idle.

“And, where do you come in in tho great adventure?” asked the reporter of Richard Tracy, who is eighteen years of age. ’ " “Oh, I Harold at Shrewsbury,” replied tTie lad. What did you do for a living? “I was a cotton mill hand at Hollingwood, near Manchester, and was receiving 355. per week in 1921. However, the mills were only working three days a week, (and eventually they closed down altogether in November. I could not find work of any kind, and so, like thousands more, was compelled to tramp the country in order to keep body and soul together.” All Sorts and Conditions of Men. “Yes,” broke in Harold Law, “it was not only the poor people who were compelled to take to the highways and byways. I met a man at tho beginning of last December up against a haystack who was a master of five languages, arid who had been chief secretary to the civil engineer of one of the biggest city councils in the world. He was a vagabond like the rest of us.” Westward Ho! “How’ did you come to get aboard the Matakane?” inquired the pressman. “We met a coal trimmer, who was assisting to coaUfhe Matakana,” replied Law, “and he took pity on our sorry plight. He smuggled us aboard, and showed us where to stow away safely. Wo did so, and were not discovered until wo were well out to sea. “Did you get the rope’s end when you were discovered? „ , “No.” said Law. “Captain Bosdct treated us most kindly. We were nearly starved to death., and were m ill-health through vermin and privation. Instead of upbraiding us •■;aptain Bosdct gave us suitable clothing, and verv kindiv had us placed under the care of the ship’s doctor for a fortnight. Thon he put iis to work, hut it was more like putting in tune than working. We had been looking for work for eight months, and wero, only too glad to do anything. “Since our arrival in Wellington, Captain Bosdct has been most kind to us,” added Law, “and I would .be very glad if you would thank him for us. Ho has allowed us to stay on the steamer while we look for employment. The Salvation Army is trying to find us work; and we hopo they will succeed, as wo are keen to tackle anything.” i , Law stated that ho lost his people nine years ago, when 11 years of age, and over since had had to make his own wav in the world. “I determined,” said Law, “that I would! get as much education as I possibly could, and I do not think I have done badly for a boy who has had no help.” As if-' to make up for tho bludgeonings of chance they received in the Old Land, Fate seems to have smiled upon the young self-assisted immigrants ever since they loft England’s shores. In addition to falling in with a most humane man in the master of

the Afataknna, the lads were fortunate in coming before such a kindhearted Alagistrate as Air. F. K. Hunt, who decided to give them a fair start in the country of their adoption. “Don’t forget to thank , Captain Bosdet, and please let ns know if anyone has any work to give us,” was the porting,shot of the diminutive but stout-hearted young Englishmen as they olieo again set off in tneir quest for employment.