The Unemployed.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5564, 11 March 1886, Page 3

The Unemployed.

LATEST INFORMATION. After the receipt of the telegram sent by the Mayor of Napier yesterday afternoon, Mr S. P. Andrewß, to whom, it will be remembered, Mr W. B. Scott wired a request for forty good men for the drainage works at Hastings—forwarded the following telegram to that gentleman : — " Mayor of Napier wires that Russell is your agent, that Russell'B telegram for men a fraud. Reply immediately. S. P. Andrews." This morning he received the following reply :— "Mayor of Napier wired to others that Russell is connected with me. This is false. Do not know him. W. B. ScorT." During the courae of yesterday, before the telegram from tho Mayor of Napier was received, Mr Andrews got instructions from Mr Scott to advertise for forty good . labourers. This morning, Mr Andrews read his telegram and Mr Scott's reply to a number of men who had gathered around the Cathedral square lamp-post. His auditors seemed somewhat mystified by tho contradiction between Mr Scott's telegram and that of tho Mayor of Napier, but noae of them offered to address the assemblage. | In the course of this morning Mr Austin, ; Government Engineer, saw Mr Andrews, ' and asked if he would wire to Mr Scott to ; ascertain if ho would guarantee work for a ! certain time, and at a specified rate of wagea, to any specified number of men. Mr Andrewa did not think it advisable to do thia, as he knew that Mr Scott, like ar y other contractor, would not bind himself * a j give work to men about whose capabilities he knew nothing. As the white fish ova, which were to have been brought to Lyttelton by the Stel! J are all dead, th« vessel will not, of course, oome to Lytteltoa ad was expected. As the offer of the Government to convey men • in her to Napier was conditional on the vessel's coming to Lyttelton, it is to be presumed that the offer in question may be regarded aB having lapsed. Indeed, the Government could not be expected to take men to the North fsland when there was a chance that when they got there they would find that there waa nothing for them to do. Arrangements are in progress for conveying 100 men to the Hokitika-Grey mouth railway next weok, so that the congestion of labour from which this city iB at present suffering will be considerably relieved shortly. j This morning Mr Biltcliff had an interview with Mr Austin, to whom he applied for employment. He was informed that if he liked to take work of a Buperior character to that for which 4a ia offered, he would be paid a higher wage, but he wanted to be paid 5s a day for ordinary pick and shovel work, Bueh a 8 the lower rate is being given for. Thia waa declined, and he left the office still one of the " unemployed."