ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. THE UNEMPLOYED MEETING.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8122, 6 November 1894, Page 1

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. THE UNEMPLOYED MEETING.

TO Xnc EDITOR Sir, — Tlio magnetic power of fcho baok door of fclio Athenroum has again drawn the oncubus, or local nightuvvro towards its vicinity, in tho form of a crowded "outside" meeting of unemployed, headed by His Wowhip tho Mayor, iti his ofliotul capacity, the two prominonb .soloists (D. Farris and 8. Boreham), light stop dancer Dvrkio Grant, and James JJoroham (tho great draughts fiz/ler) as pianist. After his Worship the Mvyorhad tuned the nerves of his audience to tho propor pitch to what they might expect, ho called upon Mr Fairis to give a rendering of Ins usual complaint — "the unemployed" composed by Richard Seddon, and feuit.ably adapted to Messrs Farris and Co., for "all occasions, who commenced by congratulating Charles Lingard upon his absouoe, also his Worship tho Mayor for tho interest he had shown towards tho necessitous working man, and all tho time eyeing himself approvingly in his last new suit. Then ho proooeds to caution tho men against denouncing tho co-operativo system, and pointing oub wherein it would be to thoir interest to keep together -uid demand an equal aharo of what work was going ; to show a little less sellishnesH, and try to assist othors if they did not require assistance them" solves ; then ho pointed out tho mistaken of tho Govornmont in tho past in spending money annually in such suma, where, by giving him a fixed sum, he would linibh tho road, and make a first-class job, he would sti'l bo tblo to givo tho workmen one shilling por hour whilothey wore employed. Of course, you are not to consider Ins motive in changing tho method oi completing the road as a selfish one on the part of Mr F'irris. Nob at all, sir. It is pme philanthrophy, although he omits to mention tho number of men he w til employ and how many weeks they would bo employed at tho ono shilling per hour, and how many hours per day ; or tho object may bo similar to our water-race contract, a concentrating of all tho forces intellectual and control, ing, as a supervising conimitteo. Jack then becomes equal to his master in tho form of all boii>g bosses. Still, thoro is this probability, as in tho water-raco contract, of a general strike against thoir banking account. Bui let us wait tho development of ovenls. Then Darkio Grant performs threo Btops of tho Highland Fling in masterly stylo, as an interlude to tho hero of tho family umbrella, who appeared to bo in grand form, who commenced in bemoaning tho likelihood of his being sout to finish tho road in the winter — that boing tho coldest and hungriest season of tho yoar. ITo would prefer to go on now while it is warm. If Mr Duncan could only yrovail upon tho Hon. John to look at it in tho proper light they would swear allegianco to him for tho next election. Then ho, like his brother patriot, takes exception to that letter which inferred that they were all drunkards, but to a personal application only of tho epithet there would bo no objection t'ikon. He would write them a letter of acknowledgment signed with tho household words (Beocham'fl pills) .Stephen Uoroham ; but it is cowardly to class them all *s drunkards. I agtoe with S 13. to the extent of oxprossing my contempt for all who would duro to assert that the working man could nob b« trusted to be paid his wages in tho middlo of tho week in case he should spuud thorn in tho public houso boforo Satmday, but any kind of stick is good enough to beat a dog with, and being a poor working man not possessed of feelings, such maligni'y could do him no hu-in. Then tho draughts fiz^lor lias a turn at the board, in congratulating thoir representative upon being tho best and bonniest representative thoy ever had in parliament ; and their coolidenco in his present and tuturo services — tho whole carried iti block. With a fow Maid of Ll.uigdoHou smiles from Mr Duncan and "God Save the Queen" in the form of fchrco cheers by tho orchestra, led by Mr Fanis, biought tho proceedings, amidst a downpour of rain, to a hnppy conclusion. — -I am, etc., Snip.

Tho cost of supplying wator to tho British Homo of Commons is L2OOO a yciir. Brussels is tho place in which tho yreatc&t number of hat« aro made. Ten thousand aro manufactured daily. A (inn in Palermo is ongiged in supplying water from tho llivor Jordan to cluwcho^. It is put in no vied bottles and sold by tho case. Tho Turkish authorities havo ordered the repair, at tho cost ol LBO,(XM), of tho old aqueduct') of Solomon at Jerusalem, which were in working orJer in tho time of Christ. Mrs Annio Bebant, afc preseufc on a lecturing tour through Now Zealand is ' ono of tho iiucbt scholars in tho world. She ib recognised as tho first lady scholar in England. Women havo a great reapocb for old ago. Watch a young hdy Boated in a 'bus bot^Teen a young gentleman and an elderly ono, and sec how determined she is nofc to incommodo tho Uttor by squeea« ing against him. M Mra Blimmor Is very nervous about there being thirteen at tho table to« night," *'jjooi she think something unnteh&anfc will happen ?'' " Yoi j aha hsi only dos-ju knivoa and forka," A man on bsmg o-sUotl wh^fe kind of wine hs n^f«n^i ?aUj u Qrtw| Nopiys, l^ *