THE LABOR QUESTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 824, 13 September 1867, Page 9

THE LABOR QUESTION.

Mr James Gordon -Stuart'Crrant apparently finds it necessary again to try to fojrce himself into notoriety ; sind he is again trying to do that by arrogating the position of a' champion of the working classes. When somebody, whose name was>not to be < ascertained,' sent' the crier round the city two or three weeks a3o, to annoimca a nvefcing' of unemployed,' Mr Orant £dok' advantage of the original f.iiluro to secure. such a meeting ; and for an hour, on the next day, ho raved in the Octagon to those who were minded to listen and to laugh at him. As the so-called chairman of the meeting, Mr Grant proposed a resolution having no real relation to the question whether there were unemployed men in Dunedin who had tried to get work and had failed" to get it ; and that resolution, which nobody seconded, was "put" by Mr Graat, and declared to be carried. Mr Grant was busy again on Tuesday. We do not know whether he was the causer of the gathering of 40 of 50 men in or near the Octagon during the forenoon ; but men to that number did go on Tuesday to the Government Buildings, and Mr Grant went with them or arrived almost at the same time. Mr Duncan, the Secretary for Land' and Works, when entering the building, was addressed by Mr Grant, to this effect :—: — "Here are men, whom you call 'loafers.' They want "work : can't your fine Government contrive to give them employment ?" Mr Duncan attempted to ascertain how many of the men wanted work, and how long they had wanted it ; and he stated that for those who would apply next morning, work would be found by the Government. Some of the men subsequently walked to the front of the Times office ; and they there groaned several times. Who induced them toadoptthat course, the groaners no doubt know ; butwedonotbe- , lieve that one of them couldgive anythinglike a reason why such an expression of displeasure -was indulged in. Afterwards,. Mr Grant had another talk in the Octagon, to a shifting assemblage of 80 or 100 persons. The talk was eulogistically autobiographical ; it was anecdotal, the anecdotes tending to tho glorification of James Gordon Stuart Grant ; and it was abusive of the Provincial Government and of other local public men. What wo have called abusive talk no doubt seemed to be also libellous : but we should .think that there is nobody here who believes that anything Baid by Mr Grant" can be calculated to bring any other person into contempt. Mr Grant did not, however, confine himself to abuse. He imprecated a newspaper and a number of persons. , -He burned a copy of the Daily Times, and declared his wish that "the curse of God might rest upon it, and everybody connected with it." la that the sort of procedure by which Mr Grant thinks to ingratiate himself with the working-classes? — Putting Mr Grant aside, we are authorised to state that, some time ago, -instructions were given to the Government Inspector of Works to employ any man who applied fpr work; that .only. two such applications have been made ;' and that, work having been given to those men, they left it after three or four days. A passer-by on Tuesday forenoon, while, the men were assembled opposite the Government Buildings, expressed a general opinion that they did not look as if they wanted work. He was challenged by one man of several who were together, with, "Do -you mean to say that I don't want work — that I -would not take it, if I could get it ?" The reply was to this effect : — "I don't say that you personally are not in want of work. But [ do say that men who will work can get it up the country. Don't you think yourself aa good as a Chinaman? Don't you think, really, that you are as good as any two Chinamen? Well, Chinamen, on the banks of the Molyneux, are making from 6s to 8s every day; and you can do the same, at the least. I myself have employed 20 men at £3 12s a week all this winter, up country ; and I would have employed moTe, at the same rate, if I could have got them. Depend upon it, men who can and will work, need not want it." About 130 men gaveintheirnames on Wednesday, as applicants for employment from the Government. Of them, it appeared that . between 90 and 95 are unmarried men-; «nd of the married men, there are a good many with families of three (or more) children. r A few of the applicants, there can be no , doiibt> are under the, mistaken idea that the Government are prepared to find for them' employment as book-keepers or clerks ; and We heard a story that one man who gave in hia name, is known to be possessed of property, the > rents _of which are at least sufficient to enable him to live comfortably. Of the majority of the applicants it can truly be said that they looked like men able and willing to do such work , as a Government' Jnight- fairly be expected to provide during winter season ; , ,and if any such men have recently suffered from, tjhe want of work, the fact is one to be regretted, seeing that - the Government have been prepared to give employment at such, a • >Tate ; of wages as would at. least- provide thp I necessaries of life. As'we'tave already said, pnly ijwo ■ applications ' had~tH!gvlously "feeerf made to the Government; and work was found .in Dunedin for, those .men, w^h>,tney,jleft after a few day Si We understand, the present proposal ( of, the, Government to be .this : .—The [list of -names taken wfll.be "at once ' sent:' io '.the Inspector of the ; road fr^wn, ' 'Beauhjont to Switzera, via Tapaniii.; tthe,lnr,t the,ln r , r rtpsctpr being instra'ctqd _to r . empJ6y,/at 8s a, , day, as many of* those 'whoye, names are.in- ' eluded is the list, as may apply to turn.